October 15, 2020

Marc Leder
Co-Chief Executive Officer

Rodger Krouse
Co-Chief Executive Officer

Sun Capital Partners, Inc.
5200 Town Center Circle, 4th Floor
Boca Raton, FL 33486

Dear Mr. Leder and Mr. Krouse, 

We are among the approximately 2,700 former employees of Shopko who are excluded from today’s announced severance settlement.  We are writing to call on Sun Capital to provide a similar severance payment to everyone who was excluded (those of us who were part of the “phase seven liquidation process” and who worked at the corporate office). 

As you know, when Sun Capital bought Shopko, Sun loaded the company with $1 billion in debt. Sun then sold 178 Shopko properties for $815 million in a sale-leaseback that created an additional financial burden on our stores. As our company struggled under overwhelming debt, Sun Capital extracted millions in dividends and fees – profiting while forcing Shopko to take on additional liability. 

When Shopko filed for bankruptcy, 14,000 jobs were destroyed. Fortunately, some of our coworkers were able to get justice through the court in the form of a settlement that you were a part of, and the severance that they were promised is now finally being granted to them. 

Unfortunately, phase seven workers, who were part of the last group of employees to work at Shopko through the liquidation process, were not part of this settlement and as it stands, we won’t be receiving anything. As you know, Shopko had a severance policy in place for years prior to the bankruptcy.  We were counting on that severance to support us in the event we were laid off.  But that severance policy was terminated shortly before Shopko announced it was liquidating. 

Sun Capital has a history of driving firms into bankruptcy, including The Limited, Marsh, and Gordmans.  While we cannot change the past, we can ensure that everyone at Shopko who loyally dedicated themselves to Shoko’s success are not abandoned.  In the past, other private equity companies like KKR and Bain Capital, two of Toys “R” Us’ former owners, contributed $20 million to a hardship fund for fired Toys “R” Us employees. Sun Capital should do no less. 

We are calling on Sun Capital to ensure that every Shopko employee in phase seven and who worked at corporate receives a severance payment.  We worked hard to make Shopko a beloved brand.  Sun Capital should show us the respect we have earned.

Sincerely,

Aaron Miklaszewicz
Abby Harper
Al Halla
Alecia Joly
Alex Klaus
Alice King
Alisa Vandenbush
Alyssa Erickson
Amanda Froseth
Amanda Myers
Amanda Thompson
Amands Von Emde
Amy Besson
Amy Besson
Amy Crawford
Amy Frisch
Andrew Hagner
Angela Kelly
Angela Rackow
Ann Kleinke
Ann Marie Suiter
Anne Schmitt
Amy Meyer
April W Terviel
Ashley Carlson
Ashley Craig
Ashley Lenzi
Ashley Styczynski
Audrey DeKnikker
Audrey Mae Risner
Autumn Knabe
B Lynn Bowns
Barb Hess
Barb Zankle
Barbara Lewis
Becca Clinton
Becca Renee Clinton
Becky J Cash
Benjamin Strickfaden
Bernice Duchac
Beth Jordan
Beverly Carpenter
Brandi Fleury
Brandi S Melancon
Brandon Albertson
Brandon Blotnicki
Brandy Wankel
Brenda Hill
Brenda McKnight
Brenda Rozine
Brenda Wheeler
Brett Alan Baughman
Bridget Koeppel
Brooke Sullivan
Bryan Tinoco
Carl Grathen
Caro Fleming
Carol Janssen
Carol Matushak
Carrie Spates
Cassidy Barber
Catherine Schmahl
Cathy Patek
Celia Heikkila
Cheryl Allen
Cheryl Charland
Christine McDonald
Christine Walter
Cindy Rackow
Colin Ward
Connie Brunet
Connie Vallera
Connie Whitmil
Constance S Paredes
Corey Spoehr
Crystal Carland
Crystal Cooper
Crystal Pedersen
Cyle Wickstrom
Cynthia Umland
Dakota Harper
Dana Lewis
Danielle Knowles
Darek Olson
Darla Hupp
Darnell Lane
Darrick DeMeuse
Darrin Hoffmann
Darrin Oswskey
David Eslinger
Dawn Johnson
Dawn Muhlenbeck
Dawn Nuenke
Dawn Skaletski
Deana Lesch
DeAnn Hull
Deanna Green
Debbie Ratliff
Debbie Van Genderen
Deborah Goodpaster
Deborah Kenseth
Debra Alm
Debra Harrison
Debra Karsky
Delina McCallson
Denelle Hegenbarth
Dennis Allie
Dennis Grosskreutz
Devin Wolcott
Diana Hazelton
Diane Gruhlke
Diane Jensen
Diane Roznowski
Diane Zimpher
Donissa Raymond
Donna Burzinski
Donna Hasler
Elizabeth Smith
Ella Perkins
Emaline Banta
Emily Fehlhaber
Erin Christensen
Erin Leanna
Faye Black
Gabrielle Campbell

Gail Deterville
Gail Lisowe
Garry Madson
George Clinton
Gloria Key
Gwyndelyn Bell
Hailey Brown
Heidi McKeever
Ilene Wiener
Jacob Soha
Jaime Baranczyk
Jamie Hatfield
Jamie Jensen
Janet Bussan
Janice Luedtke
Jason Hansen
Jason Longsworth
Jaye Kruckeberg
Jayne Czech
Jean M. Cullen
Jean Prevost
Jeff Footit
Jeffrey Kopplin
Jenna Hennen
Jenna Lund
Jennifer Breider
Jennifer Clark
Jennifer Eikum
Jennifer Ratliff
Jennifer Schaible
Jennifer Smith
Jennifer Tiile
Jessica Carrillo
Jessica Cromwell
Jessica Richmond
Jim Corpus
Jim Welch
Joanne Seymour
Jodi Vanderbloemen
Joe Krautkramer
John Lane
Jon Instefjord
Jonathan Kempff
Joy Van Toll
Joyce Anderson
Judy Hanchey
Judy Steiert
Julie Iverson
June Johnson
June Kennedy
Kacie Anderson
Kaitlyn Pemberton
Kami Diefenderfer
Kandie Skippon
Karen Heiman
Karie Derks
Karin Hartman
Karla Tukua
Karlene Maas
Karol Williams
Katelynn Hilden
Kathryn Jacobs
Kathy Annala
Kathy Ciha
Kathy Long
Kathy Park
Katy Wagner
Kay Zwiefelhofer
Kelly Sue Galbraith
Kevin Kahnk
Kim Buntin
Kim Cooper
Kim Devine
Kim Smith
Kimberly Swenson
Kimberly Thesing
Kirsten Townsend
Konnie Britton
Kristen Haase
Kristi Schmid
Kristi Van Beckum
Kristin Laue
Kriya Dunbar
Kyle Withers
Lara Wessley
Laura Cayemberg
Laurie Lawrence
Leah Huebner
Lee Hopp
Lee Mitch
Linda Caponigro
Linda Cooper
Linda Hauser
Linda Leopold
Linda Martzelt
Linda McEachern
Linda Neale-Richey
Linda Schwartz
Lisa Barlow (Schwartz)
Lisa Feaker
Lisa Oakland
Lisa Smits
Lisa Zirbes
Logan Coughlin
Lois Woldt
Lori Broge
Lori Heiting
Lori Schultz
Lori Van Bellinger
Lori Waits
Lori Wason
Lucy Hutzenbiler
Lynette Anderson
Lynn Graham
Lynn Morgan
Lynn Morgan
Lynne Lund
Mae Minten
Margaret Smith
Margie Huerkamp
Marjorie A Wolf
Mary Bach
Mary Bates
Mary Lou Siani
Mary North
Mary Scray

Mary Tullberg
Matalyn Carow
Matthew Check
Megan Zillmer
Melinda Smith
Melissa Brantner
Melissa Klebs
Melissa Nestell
Michael C MacTaggart
Michael Goeben
Michael James Pride
Michael Lindquist
Michael Schreiner
Michele J Gagnon
Michele LeTourneau
Michelle Bartel
Michelle Guderian
Michelle Kluender
Michelle Priest
Michelle R. Meulebroeck
Michelle Schultz
Michelle Tomlinson
Michelle Weeks
Mindy Vander Poel
Nida E Thompson
Olivia Wondercheck
Pat Crowley
Patricia Brock
Patricia J Ruedebusch
Patricia Jensen
Patrick Carland
Patsy Dempsey
Patty Evans
Patty Lindstrom
Patty Ramsey
Paul Chapman
Paula Sievert
Peggy Adams
Peggy Adams
Peggy Larsen
Peter Christiansen
Petra Turbett
Rachel Botzet
Rachel DeMeuse
Rachel Kotwitz
Rachel Lemon
Rebecca Bird
Rebecca Bouche
Rebecca Gilliand
Renee Everson
Robert Avery
Robin Ann Verbeten
Robin J DeWitt
Robin Olson
Roger Allen
Ron Tlamka
Rosemarie Wilke
Rosetta Robinson
Ruth Eliason
Samantha Friest
Sandra Homolka
Sandra J. Sadowski
Sandy Solcz
Sandy Styles
Sandy Weddig
Sara Mansavage
Sarah Coleman
Sarah Moore
Sasha Rodiquez
Shania Hoadley
Sharon Skaja
Shelley Tilly
Shelly Becker
Stacey Jolin
Stacy Allaire
Stephanie Pagel
Stephen Ross
Steve Biesterveld
Steven Gustafson
Steven Schweiger
Sue Corpus
Sue Potratz
Sue Reich
Susan Arnold
Susan Brey
Susan Feather
Susan Hall
Susan Johnson
Susan Kent
Susan Kornely
Susan Wenthe
Suzanne Hagen
Taira Marquardt
Tamara White
Tami Zellner
Tammy Hallett
Tara Larson
Tasha Rusch
Taylor Westerberg
Teresa Ebbe
Teresa L. Haux
Teresa Luetgers
Teresa Marie Rinehart Boos
Terese Nelson
Thomas Henderson
Thomas Squires
Tiffany Skillman
Timothy Bangs
Tina Van Rossum
Todd Stimpson
Tom Bridgeman
Tom Hoeft
Tracie Pinkal
Trina McInerney
Trudy Pinchart
Tyler Zoucha
Uvonka (Voni) Hansen
Vicki Ruechel
Vicky Aerts
Virginia Mueller
Von Collins
Wanda Corrales
Wayne Newmark
Wendy Laundrie
Whitney Kellner