Shoppers at the Price Chopper on Albany Shaker Road in Colonie were greeted Friday by members of the United Food and Commercial Workers union who handed out fliers that read: "Attention Customers of Price Chopper: Tell the owner of this company not to be a Scrooge to his workers this holiday season. Tell him to give his workers the gift of dignity and respect."

The flier also invites customers to call the UFCW for more information.

The union is looking to organize workers at the chain's stores. Price Chopper bought out another supermarket chain, P&C, which had a unionized work force. A call to the UFCW number was not returned Friday evening.

Prior attempts to organize the chain have failed.

In 2001, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1 lost a bid to represent about 600 of the grocery chain's warehouse workers in Rotterdam, Voorheesville, Colonie and Waterford.

"For years, they've wanted to try to organize Price Chopper," said Neil Golub, chairman and CEO of the parent company, Golub Corp. "Every couple of years they decide to start again, and my guess is the same thing will happen."

In 2001, 533 of 683 eligible employees voted, and 443 -- or 83 percent -- voted against the union. The number of votes in favor was 90.

A year earlier, warehouse employees in Rotterdam, Voorheesville, Colonie and Waterford voted down the union, 325-148.

"We have been recognized repeatedly as a great place to work," Golub said. "Half of our stock is owned by our employees. Our people benefit in the growth of our company."

He contended the union wants to organize to replace lost dues and to pay for political donations. He also objected to a union flier that depicted him as a fat, drinking, smoking CEO -- none of which is accurate.

"That's insulting not only to me but to the people of this company," he said.

In 2002, the National Labor Relations Board ordered Golub Corp. to post notices reaffirming its employees' rights to unionize and pledging not to interfere if they did. The NLRB upheld a finding that the company had threatened a union-organizing employee with suspension during the failed drive in 2000 at its four Capital Region warehouses.

"You have a right to join a union or not to join a union," Golub said, but he tells his workers they'd be foolish to do so.

Golub said the union also has complained about the firm's cutting workers' hours.

"We haven't laid anybody off," he said. "When business is slow, we have to adjust hours or we go broke."

Staff writer Tim O'Brien can be reached at 454-5092 or by e-mail at tobrien@timesunion.com.