-
News and Updates
March 7, 2017
UFCW Celebrates National Nutrition Month
Was your New Year’s Resolution to eat healthier? If so, you’re in luck. To celebrate National Nutrition Month, throughout March our UFCW family and its many food workers will be bringing you tips for a better life through healthy eating.
Spring is just around and the corner, making March the perfect time of year to refocus on eating right, getting healthy, and chasing away those winter blues. We know how hard it can be to balance work with all the demands of your life and still stay focused on your nutrition, but eating healthier foods doesn’t have to be a chore. Throughout the month, we’ll be sharing tips with you to make it easier to stay excited and engaged, and help get you on track to a better you and a better life.
Head to ufcw.org for a quick plan for better eating, and put your best fork forward for #NationalNutritionMonth!
March 6, 2017
Local 21 Olympic Medical Center Home Health Workers Ratify New Contract
On Feb. 27, members of UFCW Local 21 who work at Olympic Medical Center Home Health in Port Angeles, Wash., ratified a new contract. The contract covers about 60 members and includes wage increases, an extra floating holiday and additional education money. The new contract will help recruit and retain quality staff and allow members to better serve the needs of their patients.
March 6, 2017
Weingarten Cards Are Available to UFCW Locals
Weingarten cards are now available at the UFCW Print Store. The cards have been printed in English on one side and are available 25 additional languages.
The languages include:
Albanian
Amharic
Arabic
Bosnian
Burmese
Cantonese
French
Haitian
Hakha Chin
Hindi
Hmong
Karen
Khmer
Kiswahili
Korean
Lao
Nepali
Russian
Serbian
Simplified Chinese
Somali
Spanish
Tagalog
Thai
Vietnamese
You can visit the UFCW Print Store to purchase Weingarten cards here. Minimum orders are in batches of 100 in the same language. If you have any questions about accessing the UFCW Print Store, contact Zena Cole and Andre Johnson (zcole@ufcw.org and ajohnson@ufcw.org).
March 6, 2017
RWDSU Supports On-Call Scheduling Ban Legislation
On March 3, RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum spoke at a rally in front of New York City Hall in support of Intro. 1387, legislation that will ban on-call scheduling practices in the retail industry. On-call scheduling disrupts workers’ lives by requiring them to be available to work certain hours even if they are not scheduled to work and won’t get paid. Appelbaum also testified at the New York City Council’s hearing in support of the ban.
“On-call scheduling is a pervasive and exploitive employment practice where workers do not find out until just before a scheduled shift if they will be required to work or not,” Appelbaum said. “On-call scheduling is devastating for retail workers. You need to put your life on hold and be available for work – regardless of whether you will be called-in or paid. If you are a part-time worker, the uncertainty of your schedule means you can’t arrange for a needed second job. If you are a parent, you don’t know if you are going to need child care. If you want to continue your schooling, you can’t sign up for classes without knowing your availability.”
“Today’s hearings are a critical first step in helping workers gain more control over their own lives and their ability to earn a living,” Appelbaum added. “I urge the city council to pass Intro. 1387 swiftly.”
February 24, 2017
Why Tom Perez Should Be DNC Chair
As the DNC prepares to elect new leadership, UFCW International President Marc Perrone penned an op-ed in U.S. News & World Report that explains why Tom Perez is the best candidate for hard-working men and women. A key excerpt is below:
The success of the Democratic Party will come down to its ability to do one thing: put hard-working families first.
Tom Perez understands the realities faced by hard-working men and women across America who deserve and have earned a better life. Our union family experienced this firsthand when he was Secretary of Labor during the Obama administration. We saw his passion and commitment to improving the lives of workers when he joined with us to push for better working conditions at our nation’s poultry plants, where workplace safety and health is a key concern.
The truth is that too many good people, from all backgrounds, are struggling to make ends meet and they’re tired of it.
In order for the Democratic Party to help these families and connect with these voters, their message and how they communicate must change. They must do a better job of speaking to voters’ economic needs and social wants, and they must mobilize people who do not see the clear difference between political parties. We believe Tom Perez can do that.
You can read the full op-ed online on the U.S. News & World Report website.
February 16, 2017
UFCW Responds to “A Day Without Immigrants” Protests
On Feb. 16, UFCW International President Marc Perrone issued a statement in response to the thousands of employees and employers across the country who stood together during “A Day Without Immigrants” to call attention to the vital role immigrants play in every community.
“Immigrants make incredible contributions to our lives, communities, and country each day. Today, we are asking Americans to honor that contribution and pay attention to what is at stake.
“From the beginning of this nation, immigrant workers from all over the world have come to this country to work hard and build a better life. Yet, many workers, and many UFCW members continue to suffer from the effects of our broken immigration system.
“Our union family has seen firsthand the damage that irresponsible employers can cause through exploitative labor practices that hurt immigrants, and drive down wages, benefits and working conditions for all workers. It is time for Congressional leaders to finally see and hear the calls for change and put forth common-sense immigration reform that will end this crisis.”
February 16, 2017
UFCW Responds to President Trump’s New Nominee for Secretary of Labor
On Feb. 16, UFCW International President Marc Perrone issued a statement in response to President Trump’s selection of Alexander Acosta as his next choice for Secretary of Labor.
“If confirmed as Secretary of Labor, Mr. Acosta’s top priority will be protecting the rights of all men and women. Hard-working families need and deserve a labor secretary who will push for and implement policies that will turn the tide against declining wages and rising income inequality.
“It’s critical for the person running the Department of Labor to be willing and able to be a champion for all workers, including our members, who deserve and have earned a better life. In the coming days and weeks, we will be reviewing Mr. Acosta’s positions and past statements to see how they’ve impacted UFCW members, their families and all hard-working men and women.”
January 26, 2017
Jim Beam Workers Have Each Other’s Backs
In October, UFCW Local No. 111D members who work at Jim Beam distilleries in Clermont and Boston, Kentucky were in the middle of negotiating for a new contract. They loved working at Jim Beam but had reported regularly working 80 hour weeks, injuries on the job, and a lack of job security.
By standing together and speaking out, Local No. 111D got support from the community and eventually their employer. Jim Beam agreed to a new contract with the workers that would stop relying on temporary workers and hire more full-time workers who could keep up with demand for the product. For members of Local No. 111D, this victory meant less overtime and most importantly, more time with their families.
January 24, 2017
UFCW Women’s Network Joins Thousands of Women and Supporters for the Women’s March on Washington
On Jan. 21, members of the UFCW Women’s Network, along with women and men from UFCW locals across the country and Canada, took to the streets in the nation’s capital and many other cities large and small to stand united and show dedication to protecting our rights and the rights of our fellow citizens, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation and identity.
Click the photo below for a slideshow of just a few of the many photos of UFCW members in action:
4
January 23, 2017
Did you work at Walmart between 1998 and 2006?
If you worked at Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club between 1998 and 2006, you may be receiving compensation now.
Walmart was found liable for cheating thousands of workers out of their fair pay.
Walmart forced employees to work off-the-clock or through lunch breaks.
You can see the status of the monetary judgement or get more information by visiting this website:
http://www.walmartpaclassaction.com/
And join the campaign for change signing up here:
http://changewalmart.org/.
Walmart workers have earned respect and fair pay.