April 3, 2014

UFCW President Hansen Statement on House Passage of Deceptively Named Save American Workers Act

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement after the House passed the Save American Workers Act—legislation that would change the definition of full-time under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) from 30 hours to 40.

“The Save American Workers Act is a good sounding name for terrible policy. Employers cutting workers’ hours in response to the ACA is a serious problem that deserves genuine solutions. But this bill would actually make things worse—allowing large companies to get off scot free for failing to provide health coverage to those who work between 30 and 39 hours a week—including many UFCW members in the retail industry. The UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education found this legislation would put three times as many workers in danger of having their hours cut. This is not about saving workers—it’s politics as usual. If the House wants to save American workers, it should raise the minimum wage, extend unemployment insurance, reform immigration, and remove obstacles to union organizing. The UFCW will work vigorously to ensure this bill does not see the light of day in the Senate.”