Staten Islander News interviewed Michael Correra, director of the Metro Package Store Association (MPSA), which represents wine and liquor stores, referred to legally as ‘packet stores.’ We discussed the devastating impact the proposed legislation has already had in other states, particularly and most recently Colorado, which previously had a vibrant wine and liquor store retail market, and many of those stores have been forced to close. They simply cannot compete with the big box retailers and other chain type stores that are now competing with them for the same customer base. As Michael points out, just because more stores are selling wine and liquor does not mean that people are going to buy or consume more liquor. They will simply buy it at the grocery store. The quote from Louis Brandeis, fierce advocate for small businesses and against the mega-monopolistic corporations already taking hold in the late 1800s to 1900s, is quite timely and pertinent, and encapsulates the reason why big corporations are not the way to go, and how the power is in the hands of the consumers to say no – they just don’t know it:
“Already the displacement of the small independent business man by the huge corporation with its myriad of employees, its absentee ownership and its financier control presents a grave danger to our democracy. The social loss is great; and there is no economic gain. But the process of capitalizing free Americans is not an inevitable one. It is not even in accord with the natural law of business. It is largely the result of unwise, man-made, privilege-creating law, which has stimulated existing tendencies to inequality instead of discouraging them. Shall we, under the guise of protecting competition, further foster monopoly by creating immunity for the price-cutters?
Americans should be under no illusions as to the value or effect of price-cutting. It has been the most potent weapon of monopoly—a means of killing the small rival to which the great trusts have resorted most frequently. It is so simple, so effective. Far-seeing organized capital secures by this means the co-operation of the short-sighted unorganized consumer to his own undoing. Thoughtless or weak, he yields to the temptation of trifling immediate gain, and, selling his birthright for a mess of pottage, becomes himself an instrument of monopoly.“
Following is a press release from the Metro Package Store Association (MPSA), voicing their strong support for the UFCW’s opposition to bills that would allow Wine in Grocery Stores (WIGS). The UFCW has written to the Governor explaining the damaging impact WIGS would have on the wine business ecosystem in the state.
The MPSA is a nonprofit organization that advocates for over 3,300 independent, small business liquor stores across New York State, including nearly 60 on Staten Island. Together with the UFCW, whose thousands of members sell and distribute to wine and liquor stores across the state, they stand against this anti-small business and anti-union legislation. These bills endanger the livelihoods of over 50,000 people across the state, simply to put a few more dollars in the pockets of the billionaires whose supermarket chains stand to benefit from this legislation.
NY’s Wine & Liquor Stores Stand With UFCW in Opposing Wine in Grocery Stores Legislation
13 UFCW Local Presidents Ask Governor to Just Say No
New York, NY – The Metropolitan Package Store Association (Metro PSA), representing over 3,300 small, independent wine and liquor stores across New York State, is joining the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) to oppose legislative efforts that would allow grocery stores and supermarkets to sell wine in the state.
In a letter to Governor Hochul, 13 UFCW local presidents, representing tens of thousands of workers in wine and liquor sales, warehouses, delivery, food production and grocery stores across the state, steadfastly oppose legislation that they say, “will vehemently enable non-union operators to increase their market power while threatening union jobs in the existing liquor sales ecosystem.”
Thousands of local independent wine & liquor retailers across the Empire State have worked cooperatively with the union workforce for decades. In their letter to the governor, the union leaders say that supporters of the wine in grocery stores legislation illustrate a lack of understanding or concern for the union-represented workforce responsible for over 50,000 jobs in package stores across New York State.
In New York, there are over 3,300 small family-owned wine & liquor stores, each employing an average of 10 workers, with another 5,000 unionized sales, warehouse and delivery workers servicing these stores. The coalition of family-owned package store owners are fearful that the jobs they represent are at risk from supermarkets massive purchasing and advertising clout and big-dollar financing capacity.
“This legislation will destroy the union workforce, local wine and liquor store merchants, and in-state wineries responsible for maintaining every aspect of wine production and sale in New York,” said Michael Correra, executive director of Metro PSA. “The ones to benefit from this will be the billionaire supermarket chain owners, while working class New Yorkers will be steamrolled.”
“Just as these non-union operators refuse to provide stable, middle-class jobs with benefits in their supermarkets, they will leverage their buying power to drive down the wages and benefits of unionized wine and liquor salespeople and wholesaler workers,” said the UFCW presidents. “Enabling anti-union companies such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Wegman’s to leverage their market power against union employers in the liquor space will further erode the standard of living for thousands of union families.”
A recent analysis by the nonprofit Consumer Reports, found that many large grocery chains are price gauging consumers, by regularly overcharging for basic staples like meat and produce, with Amazon-owned Whole Foods found to be the most expensive grocery store in the United States. If these chains are suddenly granted the capacity to sell wine, consumers will simply shift their purchases of wine from liquor stores to grocery stores, enabling large grocery chains to have a stranglehold on sales and distribution, while profiting further at the expense of both union workers and local wine and liquor store owners.
“The supermarket lobby’s campaign to dismantle and assert over the alcohol control laws will create massive problems, and as the union clearly explains, will be responsible for wiping out one of the last retail sectors that have not already been destroyed by large, big box and chain store businesses,” continued Correra. “Wine in grocery stores will not increase overall wine consumption, rather it will take away sales from local small businesses and hand it over to major multi-billion-dollar grocery chains.”
See here for the full Louis Brandeis quote in the context of the original article he wrote, which was quite long.
See below for the full text of the letter sent by the union to the governor:
February 18, 2026
The Honorable Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York
State Capitol Building
Albany, NY 12224
Re: Wine in Grocery
Dear Governor Hochul,
We the undersigned unions representing workers in wine and liquor sales, warehouses, delivery, food production and grocery stores write to oppose the ‘wine in grocery’ legislation or WIGS (S. 1279/A.1328) which would allow for the sale of wine in grocery stores.
In its current form, WIGS is anti-union legislation, and the campaign for its passage is being led by anti-worker, multi-billion-dollar corporations such as Whole Foods (owned by Amazon) and Wegmans. If this legislation is allowed to pass, it would result in the loss of hundreds of union jobs in New York.
The system in New York places the sale of wine solely in locally owned wine and liquor stores. It is union members who sell wine and liquor to these stores, who deliver to these stores, and who work in the warehouses where the wine is kept. Passing this legislation in its current iteration will lead to the loss of hundreds of good paying union jobs in wine and liquor sales.
As it is drafted, there is no evidence to suggest that this legislation will increase employment or opportunities for supermarket workers. What it will do is enable vehemently non-union operators to increase their market power while threatening union jobs in the existing liquor sales ecosystem. There is no requirement in this anti-worker bill that grocery stores hire more employees to stock wine or check IDs. Just as these non-union operators refuse to provide stable, middle-class jobs with benefits in their supermarkets, they will leverage their buying power to drive down the wages and benefits of unionized wine and liquor salespeople and wholesaler workers.
Allowing wine sales in grocery stores will not generate a substantial increase in state revenue. When balanced against the losses in good-paying union jobs, this bill will result in a net loss to the state. Consumers will simply shift their purchases of wine from liquor stores to grocery stores. This shift would enable large grocery chains to profit further at the expense of union workers and locally-owned liquor stores.
The growth of non-union supermarkets offering sub-standard wages and benefits has been followed by the bankruptcy of multiple supermarket chains, including A&P, Tops, and Fairway. These bankruptcies have cost our communities good, unionized, middle-class jobs with benefits. Enabling anti-union companies such as Wal-Mart, Target, and Wegman’s to leverage their market power against union employers in the liquor space will further erode the standard of living for thousands of union families.
Sincerely,
Stephen Booras
President
UFCW Local 2D
Frank Deriso
President
UFCW District Union 1
Mr. Robert LaSalle
President
UFCW Local 312
John R. Durso
President
UFCW Local 338
Rob Newell
President
UFCW Local 1500
Donald Rutan III
President
UFCW Local 1D
Harvey Whille
President
UFCW Local 1262
Mark Carotenuto
President
UFCW Local 2013
Stuart Appelbaum
President
RWDSU District Council of the UFCW
Roger C. Grobstich
UFCW Local 1102
Max Bruny
President
UFCW Local 888
Deana Abondolo
President
UFCW Local 342
John T. Niccollai II
President
UFCW Local 464A
Banner Image: WIGS flyer. Image Credit – Metro Package Store Association
Staten Islander News Service Staff Writer
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