14
BROOKLYN WEEKLY, APRIL 28, 2019
BUTCHERS
SAFETY
intersection plagued
with safety hazards and
where 10 injuries have occurred
in recent years,
said a Department of
Transportation official.
“The DOT has identified
several safety issues
with this intersection,”
said Project Manager
Lauren Martin. “There
are many factors that create
really dangerous conditions.”
The Department
sought the community
board’s permission to address
the intersection’s
troublesome features, including
overly wide roadways
and inadequate traffic
signals.
“With those really
wide roadways, you not
only have people crossing
LOCKED OUT: Key Food employees, from left, Freddy Mule, Bonnie
Alarcon, and Gilberto Ferreras protesting the bosses’ decision to
slash their benefi ts. Photo by Colin Mixson
these really long distances,
but it also promotes
speeding,” said
Martin. “We also have a
multi-lane, all-way stop,
where there aren’t designated
directions for each
lane, which creates a ton
of confusion.”
To alleviate the speeding
concerns, the department
proposed reducing
both roads to one lane each
for a block prior to the intersection,
and replacing the
former lane with back-in,
vertical parking.
The Department also
proposed adding pedestrian
walkways to the intersection,
which borders
Canarsie Park, according to
Martin.
“There are several missing
crossings here. There
are plenty of entrances to
the park, but no way to cross
to get to them,” she said. “So,
it is part of DOT’s mission to
fi ll in these gaps, and to focus
on allowing people to get
to the park safely.”
The plan would also
include expanding the
sidewalk further into the
street, allowing for shorter
crossing distances.
“In order to make these
crosswalks safe, and a
shorter distance, we are
proposing to realign the
curb, by building painted
pedestrian stations,” said
Martin.
The community board,
at its April 17 meeting, opted
to give its approval for the
plan, which is slated to begin
construction in the coming
months.
“Overall, the benefits
are clarifying vehicular
movements, reduce
speeding, calming
the traffic, and creating
safer, shorter, pedestrian
crossings,” said
Martin.
“It’s not easy.”
The Park Slope workers
are among some 40
employees that grocery
store magnate Benjamin
Levine — who owns four
Kings County Key Foods,
including stores in Sunset
Park, Greenpoint, and
Bensonhurst, in addition
to the Park Slope market —
kicked to the curb on April
7, in retaliation to workers
picketing the store during
their lunch hour the day
before, an action they undertook
in response to the
owner failing to show at
several bargaining meetings.
Reps for United Food and
Commercial Workers Local
342 have been bargaining
with Levine for more
than two years, trying to
prevent the annihilation of
their members’ health and
retirement benefi ts, in addition
to netting the workers
a modest pay increase
after four years without
any raises, according to a
member of the union’s negotiating
team.
“They’re actively trying
to take ways stuff the
employee’s already had,”
said Lisa O’Leary, secretary
treasurer for UFCW
Local 342. “These people
haven’t had a raise in
four years. They’re not
being greedy.”
The butchers, who have
been replaced by temporary
workers amid the
lockout, have urged customers
to shop elsewhere
during the lockout. Many
shoppers have heeded the
call and sought their groceries
elsewhere, but older
Park Slopers tend to ignore
their please for lack of any
nearby alternative, according
to Torres.
“Some people, especially
old, people walk in,”
he said. “They say they
don’t have anywhere else
to go.”
Nobody wants to get
back into Key Food more
than the locked-out staffers,
who described the
crushing stress of unpaid
bills and looming rent
deadlines.
“It’s hurts so bad, to be
treated like this — I’m a
human being,” said Leslie
Callier, who has worked as
a meat wrapper at Key Food
for more than 30 years. “I’m
terribly stressed out. I can’t
sleep. I don’t know how I’m
going to pay the rent. It’s
killing me.”
Levine could not be
reached for comment.
Continued from page 1
Continued from page 1