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News and Updates
October 29, 2010
Giant Eagle Employees and supporters to March on Headquarters
When: Wednesday Oct. 27th 1:30 p.m.
Where: March begins at 111 Zeta Drive, Pittsburgh PA 15238
After several months of feeling intimidated and threatened by managers, Giant Eagle employees have had enough. Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 23, joined by a number of community organizations, will march on the corporate headquarters, to deliver support post cards signed by fellow employees at 36 stores, to say enough is enough.
“”We have the right to talk about our union, with our co-workers, with other Giant Eagle employees, with anyone we want to. This is America and we don’t check our free speech rights at the door when we take a job with Giant Eagle” said Deborah Wieloch, an employee at the Shady Side Market District Store.
Weiloch was arrested in September when she, on her day off work, went to the Waterfront Giant Eagle to talk to employees on break about their contract and other union issues. UFCW Local 23 filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board over the incident.
Weiloch’s arrest came as part of what employees see as a wave of anti-unionism on the part of Giant Eagle.
“We’ve been told we can’t wear buttons, we’ve been told not to talk about our union, we’ve been threatened with arrest or worse, being fired,” explained Jim D’Alessandro. “It isn’t right. They are infringing on our right to free speech and violating our nation’s laws that ensure we have a right to organize and be organized. Our contract even gives us the right to talk about our union during work.”
The members of UFCW got tired of harassment from management and started a postcard campaign to tell Giant Eagle they are tired of it.
While corporate Giant Eagle has pressured workers to remain silent and tried to keep their actions out of the press, workers have received tremendous support from allies and the public.
Along with a delegation of several dozen UFCW Local 23 members taking the cards to the corporate headquarters, community groups will be on hand to show support, including ACTION United, NAACP, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network, Pittsburgh UNITED, and others. A number of UFCW Local 23 members will be dressed as the Founding Fathers, complete with wigs and costumes, to reinforce the message that free speech rights are guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.
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October 5, 2010
JBS WORKERS IN SOUDERTON OVERWHELMINGLY CHOOSE UNION REPRESENTATION
(Souderton, PA.) – Nearly 1,200 workers at the JBS plant in Souderton, Pennsylvania, voted today to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1776.
“I am delighted that we stood together and made the right choice to form a union,” said Bernard Coneghen, who has worked at the Souderton facility for 27 years. “We had the opportunity to speak with representatives of the UFCW about the benefits of having a voice at work and were able to make an informed choice about forming a union.”
The workers’ victory today was the successful conclusion of a months-long campaign designed to give a voice to the nearly 1,200 JBS workers in Souderton, but also as part of a UFCW-led nationwide effort aimed at raising wages and benefits for all workers in the meatpacking and poultry industries.
“The outcome of this election shows that when workers get a free and fair process, they choose union representation,” said Wendell Young, IV, UFCW International Vice President and President of Local 1776.” The UFCW applauds JBS for taking the high road to allow the workers to have a free and fair process. Having a union makes it better for everyone, workers, the company, and the larger community.”
The Brazilian firm JBS, S.A. acquired the former Moyer Packing Company’s Souderton facility with the purchase of the Smithfield Beef Group in 2008. JBS, out of respect for its workers, allowed a free and fair process for workers to decide about union representation.
“We achieved our victory because we stood together and that’s what made us strong,” said Melina Martinez, who has worked at the plant for the last six years. “Now that we have a union, we want to get right to work on a contract that protects our rights and improves our working conditions.”
By choosing UFCW Local 1776 today as their bargaining representative, workers at the JBS plant in Souderton will be joining together with 27,000 JBS workers and 250,000 meatpacking and poultry workers across the country who already enjoy the benefits of union representation with the UFCW.
UFCW Local 1776 represents thousands of packinghouse and food processing workers in Pennsylvania at plants such as Empire Kosher Poultry in Mifflintown, Cargill in Hazelton, BC Natural Chicken in Fredericksburg and Citterio USA in Freeland.
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For more information or to arrange interviews with workers, e-mail press@ufcw.org.
UFCW Local 1776 represents 24,000 members who work in southeast, northeast and central Pennsylvania, northeast Maryland and southern New York in supermarkets, drug stores, food processing plants, government services, manufacturing facilities, nursing homes, professional offices and Pennsylvania’s Wine and Spirits Shops.
September 30, 2010
FOOD WORKERS UNION APPLAUDS SENATE DEMOCRATS FOR INTRODUCING SENSIBLE COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL
WASHINGTON — United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) International President Joe Hansen released the following statement today in response to the introduction of comprehensive immigration reform legislation by Senate Democrats:
“The legislation introduced today by Senators Menendez and Leahy is an important step toward real, meaningful comprehensive immigration reform.
“As we have said, for too long, our nation’s badly broken immigration system has allowed unscrupulous employers to drive down wages and working conditions in industries across the nation, while creating an underground economy where labor laws are shredded and workers are afraid to report safety violations.
“The legislation announced today would chart a new course for our country: A course that protects workers, respects families and reflects our nation’s rich immigrant tradition.
“We applaud these Senators for offering real leadership and sensible solutions to our nation’s challenges, and we stand ready to work with them to ensure that pragmatic immigration reform becomes a reality. The labor movement has already released historic joint principles on immigration. The House has introduced a CIR bill, and now Senate Democrats have acted. It is time to roll up our sleeves and make this happen.
”It is unfortunate that Republicans across the country continue to use the issue of immigration as a tool to divide and to scapegoat. The American people want and deserve more. So rather than fabricating stories about beheadings in Arizona, let’s use this opportunity, and this legislation, to begin a level-headed debate about revamping our immigration system and revitalizing our economy.”
September 30, 2010
UFCW President Joe Hansen New Chair of Change to Win
WASHINGTON, DC — The Change to Win (CtW) Leadership Council elected Joe Hansen, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) President, as its new Chair. Hansen replaces Anna Burger who earlier had announced her retirement from CtW where she served as Chair. Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa was elected CtW Secretary-Treasurer.
Change to Win unions, the UFCW, SEIU, the Teamsters and Farm Workers represent millions of private-sector unionized workforces in the U.S. Change to Win members work in the fastest growing industries in the country in service-sector jobs, including transportation, health care, food production and retail, among others.
The following is a statement from Joe Hansen:
“Change to Win is focused on ensuring that workers in the various service sectors have jobs with wages and benefits that can support a family. If these jobs are vital to the American economy, then service sector jobs should come with middle class wages and benefits.
“We know that a stronger labor movement is essential to the rebuilding of America’s middle class and that will be the primary focus of our work at Change to Win.
“”We will continue our strategic work building strength for workers in our core industries.
“We will continue our advocacy on key public policy issues, including labor law, pension, and comprehensive immigration reform, food safety and health care. We are also committed to working with the Administration to ensure that the purchasing power of the federal government exercises wise stewardship of taxpayer money by promoting quality, family-supporting jobs.
“We will continue close coordination with our labor partners at the AFL-CIO on public policy issues. Both labor Federations share unity of purpose to address the crisis facing American workers.
Change to Win and the AFL-CIO will work together to make sure that candidates that support working families win in November.
The Change to Win unions are more inspired than ever to stand up for workers’ rights and make the economy grow again for working families through good jobs in every community.””
James P. Hoffa, General President of the Teamsters stated: “”The United States is the first country where a majority of its citizens joined the middle class. Labor unions created that middle class. No country in the world has ever had a strong middle class without a strong labor movement. And like all social movements, the labor movement was born fighting. Our work is far from over today, and Joe Hansen is the kind of leader we need in our fight to strengthen America’s working families.”
Said SEIU President Mary Kay Henry: “”Joe Hansen’s determination to make sure that 5,000 Smithfield workers had the chance to vote for the union after 16 years is exactly the leadership we need to rededicate Change to Win to lifting wages for millions of private sector workers.””
UFW President Arturo S. Rodriguez said: “”I want to congratulate Joe on his new position, there is no doubt in my mind that he is the right person to move the organization forward. I’m sure that he will continue to ensure that Change To Win leads the way in developing new strategies, new programs and new efforts to effectively organize workers in the private sector.””
September 28, 2010
UFCW RELEASES NEW NATIONAL POLL IN ADVANCE OF SATURDAY
WASHINGTON – As activists, advocates and working families from across the country prepare to rally for good jobs in Washington on October 2, 2010, a new national poll conducted by Lake Research for the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) shows that the American public is overwhelmingly in favor of government action that addresses income inequity and that seeks to level the playing field for all American workers.
At a near universal level of agreement, voters strongly believe our economy needs to be defined by jobs with benefits and wages that can support a family. It is exactly this message that families from across the country are coming to Washington on Oct. 2nd to deliver to Congress.
“American voters want our nation’s lawmakers to focus on creating economic policies that support and sustain good, quality jobs,” said Joe Hansen, UFCW International President. “They want politicians who will stand up to the fringe elements of our society and to stand for pragmatic solutions to our economic challenges.”
“One Nation is about turning our attention to the needs of people,” said Ben Jealous, President of the NAACP. “A strong economy is only strong if it provides good jobs that support families and bring opportunity. We need to get our country moving; we need to get on common ground, we are coming together this Saturday to start this process; we are going to turn out in force this election cycle, and elect leaders who put people first.”
“The UFCW poll shows that a huge majority of Americans agree we must improve job quality, even as we focus on creating new jobs,” said Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). “That’s just one of the reasons why on October 2 we’ll be joining thousands of our friends on the National Mall calling for jobs, justice, and, yes, comprehensive immigration reform.”
Over the last 30 years, workers’ wages have remained essentially stagnant, while worker productivity skyrocketed by 75 percent. For three decades, American workers have been producing more, but taking home paychecks that don’t reflect their hard work. Consequently, we see the biggest pay gap in nearly a century.
“The only way to achieve lasting economic recovery and to ensure future prosperity is to address the wage inequity crises that is plaguing our nation’s workers,” added Hansen. “If our elected officials fail to address this issue, our nation can never fully regain its financial footing.”
With so much of the cable television debate focused on the noisy fringes of our society, it seems that the aspirations and needs of the vast majority of hard-working Americans are getting drowned out by the noise and the nonsense of the extreme elements of the political debate.
The reality, as this poll shows, is that the American people want pragmatic government solutions and sensible legislative actions that address job creation and that ensure a foundation for secure and stable communities.
Voters have a clear vision of what kind of economy they want, and while they understand the current economic situation is difficult, they still believe that all jobs should pay a living wage, come with affordable, quality health care, and offer real retirement security.
The poll, taken among 700 randomly selected registered voters nationwide, shows:
- Concern about the economy goes beyond the present; voters are deeply questioning the types of jobs America will have in the future. Eighty-seven percent of voters are very or somewhat concerned that America’s future jobs will be low-wage and low-benefit — including 65 percent who are very concerned.
- Eighty-nine percent of voters agree that economic development should result in jobs with good wages and benefits that can support a family.
- Eighty-four percent of voters agree that economic recovery means creating jobs with good benefits so people can afford to take care of their families, not low- wage jobs with no benefits.
- Eighty-four percent of voters favor requiring that government contracts go to companies that provide good paying jobs and benefits so that their employees don’t end up on welfare programs like Medicaid and food stamps.
According to the Lake poll, a majority of voters believe job growth must be good job growth. In a number of polls, Lake Research has found that a key economic frame for Americans is to have good-paying jobs—no matter what the sector.
To make that happen our elected officials must actively engage in the policy decisions that guide economic growth and job creation, and they must correct the current wage gap so that as worker productivity increases, paychecks also increase.
In addition to pushing for economic policies that address income inequality and quality job growth, the UFCW, NCLR and other civil rights organizations will be using the One Nation Working Together rally to push for comprehensive immigration reform as a key component of economic recovery and prosperity.
Study after study has shown that meaningful, comprehensive immigration reform would help bolster the economy and ensure that there is fairness and justice in America’s workplaces.
“Failure to enact immigration reform impedes our economic recovery efforts because under the current system, unscrupulous employers exploit undocumented immigrants to lower wages and working conditions for all workers,” added Murguia. “Reform that requires undocumented immigrants to come forward, pay taxes, and learn English to obtain legal status would strengthen labor standards for all, by eliminating the ability of bottom-feeding employers to rip off workers.”
The UFCW will continue working with leaders like NCLR and NAACP, as well as other labor organizations, to organize and mobilize our members and their families around key issues facing our communities—from job creation to labor law reform to immigration reform.
September 23, 2010
Workers From “814 Americas” Plant Join Local 464A
Workers at the 814 Americas, Inc. meat processing plant in Elizabeth, N.J, overwhelmingly voted on September 9th, 2010 to join Local 464A. The unit of 27 joins more than a quarter million meatpacking and food processing workers across North America who already have a voice at work with the UFCW.
Patrick Cudahy, a subsidiary of U.S. meat processor Smithfield Foods, acquired 814 Americas, Inc. from Spanish food company Campofrio Alimentacion, in 2005. The UFCW continues to build strength and solidarity across the industry as an increasing number of Smithfield Foods workers across the country join with their brothers and sisters for better jobs and a voice at work.
September 16, 2010
WHITE HOUSE APPOINTS UFCW PRESIDENT JOE HANSEN TO ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR TRADE POLICY
WASHINGTON, DC-Joe Hansen, President of the 1.3 million member United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) has been appointed to the United States Trade Representatives Advisory Committee for Trade Policy.
The UFCW represents workers in the meatpacking, food processing, poultry, food distribution and retail food sectors of our economy. As the economies of developing countries grow, demand for food products made in the US-particularly meat-is increasing. Hansen is committed to ensuring that American farmers, workers, and responsible businesses and manufacturers are not locked out of these emerging growth markets. Hansens experience in the global union movement, and his role negotiating contracts with multi-national meatpacking, food processing, and grocery companies gives him a unique perspective and the capability to ensure the voice of working people is heard in trade agreements that affect their livelihoods.
I am so honored to accept this appointment. Food and meat industry representatives have long served on this Advisory Committee; I want to express my appreciation to President Obama and Ambassador Ron Kirk for nominating me as representative of workers in these industries. I look forward to working with Ambassador Kirk on trade policies that create more jobs in the U.S. by increasing our food and meat exports; and on improving working, living, and environmental standards for workers and their families both here and abroad-standards that will also benefit consumers, businesses, farmers and manufacturers, Hansen said.
September 14, 2010
MOTT’S
Washington, DC—United Food and Commercial Workers Local Union (UFCW) 220* ratified a new contract, yesterday, ending a three-and-a-half-month strike at the Dr Pepper Snapple Group owned Mott’s Plant in Williamson, New York. The new agreement restores wage levels, maintains affordable health care, and continues the pension plan.
The strike became a national symbol for working people struggling to maintain middle class jobs and strong communities, after Dr Pepper Snapple Group imposed a $1.50 per hour wage decrease and other cuts on the workers. UFCW members, along with community and other allies, engaged in nearly 600 actions, including handbilling shoppers at grocery stores across the country in support of Local 220* members. Driven by blogs and social networks, tens of thousands of people joined the cause of the Mott’s strikers, advocating for good jobs with paychecks that pay the bills.
Local 220* members will be back on the job September 20, eager once again to make applesauce and other great products for American families.
July 28, 2010
UFCW Statement on Ruling Striking Key Provisions of Arizona
(Washington, DC) – The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union today issued the following statement:
“Today’s decision is an important first step toward protecting Arizona families, taking a stand against racial profiling, and upholding our Constitution, which clearly states that immigration is a federal responsibility.
“Our broken immigration system cannot be fixed through a patchwork of piecemeal proposals. We need a comprehensive overhaul at the federal level, not short-sighted, politically motivated laws enacted on a state-by-state basis. Today’s decision further validates this point.
“We applaud the Justice Department and the Obama Administration for its vigorous defense of our Constitution and for protecting and advocating on behalf of working people across the country.”
July 9, 2010
UFCW STATEMENT REGARDING DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CHALLENGE TO ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW
WASHINGTON – United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International President Joseph T. Hansen released the following statement today in response to the Obama Administration’s decision to challenge the state of Arizona’s recently passed immigration law, S.B. 1070. In May, the UFCW joined major civil rights, civil liberties and other labor organizations in filing a federal lawsuit challenging the law:
“It is clear that Arizona’s immigration bill is a recipe for racial profiling that runs counter to the values and ideals that make our nation strong.
“The decision by the Justice Department to challenge this law is a clear sign that enforcing immigration law is the role of the federal government.
“We applaud the Justice Department and the Obama Administration for its vigorous defense of our Constitution and for protecting and advocating on behalf of working people across the country.
“”Our broken immigration system cannot be fixed through a patchwork of piecemeal proposals. We need a comprehensive overhaul at the federal level, not short-sighted, politically motivated laws enacted on a state-by-state basis.
“America needs a 21st century immigration system that works for the American worker—a system where undocumented workers can come out of the shadows and get right with the law, a system where all workers can see their job and earnings prospects strengthened because bottom feeding employers are no longer given free reign to hire and abuse undocumented immigrants, and a system where all workers can speak up without fear of retaliation.
“It is unfortunate that many Republicans seem more focused on political expediency and personal job security than on our national and economic security, our liberty and the defense of our Constitution.
“In recent years, there have been politicians—on both sides of the aisle—who have shown real leadership, courage and commitment on this issue. For the sake of our nation, it is time for them to once again come together and lead our country forward.
“All across the country, UFCW locals and our members are organizing and mobilizing our communities around the importance of comprehensive immigration reform and protecting workers’ constitutional rights.
“Together, we can bring stability and security to our economy, to our borders and to our families. Together, we can refocus this debate on real, meaningful comprehensive immigration reform that restores the rule of law, respects the constitutional rights of all workers, and recognizes the incredible role that our nation’s diversity has played—and will continue to play—in making our communities strong and vibrant.”