Federated Department Stores Inc. told a union delegation on Monday that it would begin publishing Fingerhut catalogs again if a viable buyer is found.
The last catalog was mailed in late January. “This is the first time they said they would be willing to publish catalogs again,” said Noel Beasley, international vice president of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, which represents 1,500 Fingerhut employees.
One buyer has put forward a bid for the catalog, Federated confirmed last Friday. Others are reportedly poised to make counter offers.
The delegation met with Federated officials on Monday during a demonstration outside of Federated’s Cincinnati headquarters.
Also to come out of the meeting was an assurance by Federated that scripts at Fingerhut call centers would be examined and “that if the union has a critique of the script, we should communicate that to them,” Beasley said.
“In the early days (after the Jan. 16 notice that Fingerhut would be shuttered) the call center personnel were scripted to say that the company was going out of business,” Beasley said. “You can imagine the impact this had on current and potential customers. We are concerned that the call center script be a positive message.”
“We would hope that by issuing catalogs and maintaining the business that even in the transition period, we could expand the customer base,” he said.
Carol Sanger, spokesperson for Federated, did not return calls by press time.
The Cincinnati rally, attended by as many as 200 Fingerhut employees and local UNITE supporters according to press reports, was organized to urge Federated to find a buyer for catalog.
Meanwhile, a letter signed by Federated vice chairman Ronald Tysoe was handed out at the protest. Fingerhut employees in Minnesota and Tennessee also received the letter, confirmed Ben Saukko, Fingerhut spokesperson.
While expressing appreciation for employees’ hard work, the letter said, “we do not believe that it is likely that we will find [a] buyer.”
“It has been claimed by some that Federated’s actions in sending out WARN notices and discontinuing the mailing of new catalogs reflect Federated’s intent not to sell Fingerhut
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