'The (UFCW Union's) Repairman' Visits Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market's Corporate Office...to Deliver A Toilet

Tesco's Fresh & Easy and the UFCW Union

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union has taken its 'Fix Fresh & Easy' media campaign directly to Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market's corporate headquarters in El Segundo, California, in a surprise video featuring "The Repairman," a current and former Fresh & Easy employee and - a toilet.

In a recent story about the UFCW union's expansion of its 'Fix Fresh & Easy' media campaign, we introduced Fresh & Easy Buzz readers to "The Repairman," a union worker who's appearing on a billboard in Southern California and in ads the UFCW is running on Facebook. [Read the story at -January 31, 2011: UFCW Union Launches Outdoor Billboard and Facebook Ads as Part of its 'Fix Fresh & Easy' Media Campaign

We also noted in the January 31 story that "The Repairman" would soon be making another appearance, in a new video produced by the UFCW union.

The new video, "Fresh & Easy Flushes Money Down the Toilet," stars "The Repairman" and has a current Fresh & Easy store worker and former employee in supporting roles.

But as often happens in such surprise videos, the UFCW union's "The Repairman" ends up sharing the lead role in the brief video, which takes place at Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market's corporate office in El Segundo, California, with John Stokes, who is the director of security and loss prevention (the moustached man in the white Fresh & Easy logo shirt) for Tesco's Fresh & Easy.

The toilet, which "The Repairman" and his team attempt to deliver to Tesco deputy CEO and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market CEO Tim Mason, also takes on a starting role in the video. In fact, without the prop (which is a working toilet), there would be no video at all - or premise.

Without the porcelain throne "The Repairman" also wouldn't have a ready-made chair to sit on while waiting for who he thinks will be Mr. Mason - but instead ends up being head of security John Stokes, who, as you will see in the video at the top, finds no humor in the premise, or in "The Repairman's" persistence in wanting to install the new toilet.

According to a UFCW union spokesperson, "The [video] concept was a collaborative effort between [some] workers at Fresh & Easy and staff at the UFCW. They wanted to humorously convey the point that Fresh & Easy is struggling and refusing to ask for help. The goal was to get customers, other workers and Fresh & Easy to think about working cooperatively to get the company to succeed."

After watching the video, you might notice someone failed to inform Fresh & Easy's head of corporate loss prevention and security about the humorous aspect of the video. The receptionist looks like she got it though.

Related Stories

January 31, 2011: UFCW Union Launches Outdoor Billboard and Facebook Ads as Part of its 'Fix Fresh & Easy' Media Campaign

December 20, 2010 - UFCW Union Launches New 'Fix Fresh & Easy' Neighborhood Market Website and Social Media-Based Campaign

December 20, 2010: UFCW Union Launches New 'Fix Fresh & Easy' Neighborhood Market Website and Social Media-Based Campaign

December 20, 2010: Glassell Park-Los Angeles Store Workers Catalysts For New UFCW Campaign to Unionize Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market

October 6, 2010: The Daily Show Catches Las Vegas-Based UFCW Union Local 711 In Labor Relations 'Catch 22'

October 5, 2010: UFCW President Joe Hansen's Chairmanship of Change to Win Adds Fire Power to Union's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Campaign

September 30, 2010: Self-Service-Only Checkout Safe at California Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market Stores Thanks to Governor's Veto Pen

Also, see (click on) the following links - F-E Employees and union issue, Fresh and Easy Eagle Rock Blvd. store in Los Angeles, Glassell Park Fresh and Easy, UFCW, UFCW Tesco Fresh and Easy Campaign, UFCW union, union and labor issues - for additional related stories.