Family Dollar said Wednesday it will close nearly 1,000 stores, according to CNN.
Years of mismanagement and poor conditions in stores have hurt Family Dollar’s brand, reported CNN. Family Dollar, which is owned by Dollar Tree, was recently fined more than $40 million for a rat infestation at a warehouse that forced hundreds of stores to temporarily close.
Additionally, Dollar Tree employees have complained about unsafe working conditions, and OSHA last year criticized the company for a “continued disregard for human safety” that “suggests the company thinks profits matter more than people.”
CNN reported Family Dollar will close 600 locations this year and 370 stores over the next several years as store leases expire. Family Dollar has around 8,000 U.S. stores. Dollar Tree also said it will close 30 stores as leases expire.
Trader Joe’s Allegedly Threatened Workers Ahead of Union Vote
As reported by HuffPost, prosecutors at the National Labor Relations Board say Trader Joe’s illegally interrogated workers and threatened to take away their pay raises when they were trying to form a union last year.
The alleged threats came in the run-up to a January 2023 election at a Louisville, Kentucky, store where workers voted in favor of joining a new union, Trader Joe’s United. The company has challenged the election results by claiming the union illegally influenced the vote.
The complaint states that an assistant store manager threatened workers with the loss of their raises as well as “a loss of flexibility with taking days off and scheduling work” if they voted for the union. It also alleges the company forced workers to “participate in one-on-one conversations” meant to hurt the union’s support.
The labor board will hold a trial on the allegations if officials can’t reach a settlement with Trader Joe’s, HuffPost reported.
New Deadspin Owner Will Not Bring on Existing Staff Members
Deadspin, the sports news website, has been sold to a European digital media company, according to the New York Times.
Its owner, G/O Media, is owned by the private equity company Great Hill Partners and operates several digital media brands, including Gizmodo, Kotaku and The Onion. Jim Spanfeller, CEO, told staff members in an email on Monday that the company had recently been approached about a deal by “a newly formed digital media company” called Lineup Publishing.
Spanfeller said that the new owner would not be bringing on any of the website’s existing staff members, and that those workers would also not be staying at G/O Media.
Deadspin started as a blog in 2005 and was part of the Gawker Media portfolio of websites before being sold to G/O Media in 2019.
NASA Seeking New Astronaut Candidates
As reported by Bloomberg, NASA is seeking new astronaut candidates for the first time in four years. In 2020, NASA said there were more than 12,000 applicants for 10 positions.
A job posting stated applicants must meet basic education and specialized experience requirements, such as work as a pilot, doctor or engineer. Astronaut candidates will spend about two years in training on basic skills including spacewalking, robotics and teamwork. The job is based in Houston, pays around $152,000 a year and requires “extensive travel.”
The deadline for applications is April 2.
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