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N.G.A. continues to be the only national trade association dedicated solely to the needs of independent retail operators and we are focused on providing companies like yours the support and services needed to compete in today’s marketplace. Our working agenda focuses on ten key agendas essential to the continued success of our members. Our conferences, programs, services, and advocacy are all designed to provide members with information on the most current and relevant issues facing the grocery industry.
We would like to encourage you to take a look at some of the initiatives and programs N.G.A. has undertaken and consider a membership investment in the National Grocers Association. This investment supports and ensures that N.G.A. remains the only association exclusively committed to the continued success and growth of independent community focused retailers.
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| Exclusive N.G.A. Member Benefits Include: |
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N.G.A. continues to be the voice of the Independent on Capitol Hill. |
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N.G.A. aggressively worked to ensure the passage of the Durbin Amendment. On July 21, 2010 President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act into law, ushering in sweeping reforms of the banking industry including significant reforms of interchange fees.
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N.G.A. will continue its strong opposition to passage of the Employee Free Choice Act which would replace the current NLRB supervised private ballot election process that permits an employee to vote in private when deciding whether or not have a union, force mandatory binding arbitration by federally appointed government arbiters if a collective bargaining agreement isn’t reached in 120 days, and increases penalties for employers if the NLRB or court deems the violation willful or repetitive.
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Another top priority for N.G.A. in the 111th Congress is Preventing the repeal of LIFO, a tax and book accounting method used by companies in inventory intensive industries. N.G.A. has championed litigation on behalf of grocers and other merchants in the class action lawsuit that claims Visa, MasterCard and their respective banks violated the antitrust laws by price-fixing interchange fees and setting anti-competitive rules.
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N.G.A. strongly advocates appropriate funding for USDA and FDA laboratories and inspections, supports electronic traceability systems for produce, and will continue to work to develop legislative Solutions to assure a safe food supply.
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Past legislative victories include: preserving the right for all industry members to continue use of the term EDLP (Every Day Low Prices); stopping Wal-Mart’s attempt to open an Industrial Loan Company and engage in nationwide retail branch banking, and passage of the Credit and Debit Receipt Clarification Act which provided relief for retailers from frivolous lawsuits and changes in the Farm Bill to reduce the penalties and burdensome recordkeeping requirements that had concerned many food retailers and wholesaler who were opposed to the law.
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N.G.A. members have access to the secure Members Only Section of the N.G.A. website, www.nationalgrocers.org. This section is a one-stop portal where member-only features are conveniently grouped to provide members with the latest resources, tools, and information. In addition to current Grocers Research and Education Foundation (GREF) research such as the 2010 Financial Management Survey and the Campaign to Preserve Competition and Consumer Choice, the members only section also contains an Employment Audit Checklist that member companies can use to ensure their company's human resources policies and practices comply with federal state and local laws and a Strategic Plan for EFCA which outlines practical tips companies should implement in response to the potential for EFCA passage. Also available are supporting materials which include sample letters to your Congressman and Senators, N.G.A. position papers, Senate and House Member contact lists, and a labor relations law hotline to N.G.A.’s labor law firm, Epstein, Becker, & Green.
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Members receive all N.G.A. newsletters at no additional cost. These timely newsletters include Express Lane, Capitol Alert, Congressional and Regulatory Updates, Employee and Labor Relations newsletters, Action Alerts, Legal Updates, and Food Recalls.
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N.G.A. surveys provide members with accurate and timely information on a variety of issues. The 2009 Financial Management Survey provides insight and benchmarking information on all key financial metrics issues facing the N.G.A. membership. The 2011 National Grocers Association Consumenr panel Survey uses consumer intelligence to help retailers better understand and please shoppers.
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Members have the opportunity to participate in either the Community-Based Retailer Executive Council or the Single Store Operator Executive Council. These councils are charged with the task to identify and communicate to the N.G.A. Board of Directors the needs of their respective constituency and to ensure that N.G.A. satisfies such needs.
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N.G.A. ensures our members have access to information and services related to initiatives that affect front-ends which includes information on the rollout of the GS1 DataBar that will be placed on coupons by January 2011, PCI Compliance which requires companies to protect credit cardholder data, and Auto-substantiation of qualified healthcare products for Flexible Spending Accounts.
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In partnership with Pan-Oston, N.G.A. member retailers receive discounts on a variety of Pan-Oston products, including checkout lanes, food service equipment, service parts, and accessories.
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Members enjoy discounts on N.G.A. Payment Processing programs such as Prepaid Reloadable Card Programs, TeleCheck Internet and Telephone Acceptance Services, Payroll & Disbursement Solutions and Data Encryption and Tokenization. N.G.A. and First Data have a valuable payment services program with unprecedented security and discounts, innovative technology and improved payment products and services for supermarkets.
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The Supercenter Share Group is a N.G.A. member exclusive program aimed to provide members with the opportunity to participate with other industry executives and experts in the development of a strategic plan for competing in the marketplace. These sharegroup meetings include area store tours and presentations by industry leaders, retailers and wholesalers on a variety of topics aimed a strengthening market position.
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The N.G.A. Executive Leadership Development Program at Cornell University is a member exclusive program designed to helps retailers and wholesalers successfully respond to business challenges in the 21st century marketplace. This program provides rising grocery executives with the knowledge, tools, resources and inspiration necessary to lead their companies and drive them to long-term success.
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If you would like more information on the value of membership, please feel free to contact N.G.A.’s Irene Dele by phone at 703-516-8828 or email Idele@nationalgrocers.org.
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