AWG-Teamsters conflict worries chamber officials

Though they have not taken a position on the labor-management issues at Associated Wholesale Grocers, officials at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce are concerned about the image the issue is sending to the outside world.

"Springfield for many years had a reputation as an area that had labor-management concerns," said Chamber President Jim Anderson. "I think a lot of that was based on myth rather than fact, but it still circulated about us and was an issue in industry attraction. I haven't heard those concerns in a long time, but I'm worried about whether this might not bring those concerns up again."

In response to earlier labor-management concerns, the chamber and other area groups formed the Coalition of Area Labor and Management, or CALM, which met for many years but has long been disbanded. Anderson said the chamber is considering resurrecting the group to address any possible concerns.

"I still think it's a problem of myth and reality: As a reality, Springfield enjoys good labor-management relations; I think the current situation at AWG is more of a microcosm, an isolated example than what is the case all over the community," Anderson said. "Our challenge is that this is receiving national media, and we would hope that one situation is not blown out of proportion."