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News and Updates
December 14, 2015
Bonnie Ladin Union Skills Training Program 2016 Schedule Released
The AFL-CIO Bonnie Ladin Union Skills (BLUS) Training Program offers week-long intensive courses for union leaders, staff and activists that combine in-class instruction with discussions of real world experiences shared by a diverse group of participants. The main training areas include:
- Union administration;
- Collective bargaining (private and public sector);
- Organizing (internal and external);
- Arbitration and grievance handling;
- Communications and media; and
- Best financial practices.
The BLUS courses are taught by a corps of experienced instructors to help participants to better serve their union and community brothers and sisters. The BLUS experience brings rising union and community ally leaders together in a spirit of mutual development and camaraderie. Most courses are held at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute (CCMIT), located in Linthicum Heights, Md.
Visit the BLUS page for the 2016 course schedule and for course registration.
December 11, 2015
UFCW President Perrone Statement on Customs Reauthorization Bill
For Immediate Release December 11, 2015
Contact: press@ufcw.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Marc Perrone, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), the largest private sector union in the nation, released the following statement about the Customs Reauthorization Bill.
“The Customs Reauthorization Bill is woefully inadequate and its passage will officially end any hope for turning the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) into a trade deal that will make life better for hardworking men and women.
“While supporters will undoubtedly tout its value and importance to the American economy, the reality is that this customs bill fails to address currency manipulation, climate change and human trafficking in any meaningful way. Beyond falling short in those critical areas, this bill reinforces the fact that the TPP will cause unaffordable economic damage by shipping away good-paying jobs, lowering American wages, and putting everyday people at great risk of falling even further behind.
“We urge Members of Congress to do the right thing – stop both the Customs Reauthorization Bill and the TPP trade deal.
“America’s families are struggling enough as it is to make ends meet – we shouldn’t be pursuing trade legislation that will further divide our nation and erode our economic future.”
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Join the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) online at www.ufcw.org
We are 1.3 million families standing together to build an economy that every hard-working family deserves.
December 10, 2015
UFCW Local 400 Applauds Introduction of “Just Hours” Legislation in D.C.
Last week, Mark Federici, President of UFCW Local 400, which has more than 3,000 members living in Washington, D.C., released the following statement in response to the introduction of the “Hours and Scheduling Stability Act.”
“If you ask anyone who works at a retail store in D.C. how to improve their job, the response is likely to include scheduling. Stable hours and predictable scheduling make it easier for people to plan their future and spend time with their families. Unfortunately, in the interest of maximizing their bottom lines, numerous retail stores in D.C. rely on erratic and last minute scheduling that forces people to work harder and longer and be unaware of their shift until the last moment.
“The Hours and Scheduling Stability Act would begin to curb these abusive scheduling practices by giving retail workers advance notice of their schedules, stopping on-call practices, and promoting full-time work opportunities by offering available hours to current employees before new ones are hired.
“The bottom line is that uncertain work schedules are too common in this city and they’re making it increasingly difficult for people who work at retail stores throughout D.C. to make ends meet.
“The legislation introduced today would go a long way towards ensuring retail workers in D.C. are given the consistent hours and schedules they need to create better lives for themselves and their families.
“We urge the D.C. Council to pass the Hours and Scheduling Stability Act as soon as possible.”
Summary of Bill’s Key Provisions:
Scheduling with advance notice so that people aren’t living day-to-day:
- Employers must post schedules 21 days in advance.
- If an employer initiates a schedule change thereafter, the employee will receive one hour of pay as compensation for the change.
- If the change occurs within 24 hours of a shift, the employee is awarded four hours of pay.
Promoting full-time work opportunities so that people have enough hours to make ends meet:
- Employers will offer available hours to qualified current employees before hiring new employees.
Stopping abusive “on-call” practices so families can plan their lives:
- If an employer cancels an employee’s shift or declines to call in an “on-call” employee with less than 24 hours’ notice, the employee will receive four hours of pay.
- The law already guarantees employees a minimum daily pay of four hours when they report to work – this provision would simply close the “on-call” shift loophole.
Ensuring equal treatment for hourly employees:
- An employer may not discriminate against employees of the same job qualification with regard to rate of pay, leave and promotion opportunities regardless of hours worked.
Who does this legislation apply to?
- Chain retail employers with at least five establishments nationwide; and chain fast-food and full-service restaurants with at least 20 establishments nationwide.
For more information, please visit the DC Just Hours website.
December 10, 2015
UFCW Local 400 Applauds Introduction of “Just Hours” Legislation in D.C.
Last week, Mark Federici, President of UFCW Local 400, which has more than 3,000 members living in Washington, D.C., released the following statement in response to the introduction of the “Hours and Scheduling Stability Act.”
“If you ask anyone who works at a retail store in D.C. how to improve their job, the response is likely to include scheduling. Stable hours and predictable scheduling make it easier for people to plan their future and spend time with their families. Unfortunately, in the interest of maximizing their bottom lines, numerous retail stores in D.C. rely on erratic and last minute scheduling that forces people to work harder and longer and be unaware of their shift until the last moment.
“The Hours and Scheduling Stability Act would begin to curb these abusive scheduling practices by giving retail workers advance notice of their schedules, stopping on-call practices, and promoting full-time work opportunities by offering available hours to current employees before new ones are hired.
“The bottom line is that uncertain work schedules are too common in this city and they’re making it increasingly difficult for people who work at retail stores throughout D.C. to make ends meet.
“The legislation introduced today would go a long way towards ensuring retail workers in D.C. are given the consistent hours and schedules they need to create better lives for themselves and their families.
“We urge the D.C. Council to pass the Hours and Scheduling Stability Act as soon as possible.”
Summary of Bill’s Key Provisions:
Scheduling with advance notice so that people aren’t living day-to-day:
- Employers must post schedules 21 days in advance.
- If an employer initiates a schedule change thereafter, the employee will receive one hour of pay as compensation for the change.
- If the change occurs within 24 hours of a shift, the employee is awarded four hours of pay.
Promoting full-time work opportunities so that people have enough hours to make ends meet:
- Employers will offer available hours to qualified current employees before hiring new employees.
Stopping abusive “on-call” practices so families can plan their lives:
- If an employer cancels an employee’s shift or declines to call in an “on-call” employee with less than 24 hours’ notice, the employee will receive four hours of pay.
- The law already guarantees employees a minimum daily pay of four hours when they report to work – this provision would simply close the “on-call” shift loophole.
Ensuring equal treatment for hourly employees:
- An employer may not discriminate against employees of the same job qualification with regard to rate of pay, leave and promotion opportunities regardless of hours worked.
Who does this legislation apply to?
- Chain retail employers with at least five establishments nationwide; and chain fast-food and full-service restaurants with at least 20 establishments nationwide.
For more information, please visit the DC Just Hours website.
December 9, 2015
UFCW Hosts Workers’ Rights Training Session for Poultry Workers
[aesop_quote type=”pull” background=”#282828″ text=”#ffffff” align=”center” size=”2″ quote=” I am not afraid. I know we can work together to change our workplace and make it better for everyone.”” parallax=”on” direction=”left”]
Some of the participants in the training pose with their completion certificates.
This past Saturday, UFCW Local 1189, the UFCW Occupational Safety and Health Department and the Greater Minnesota Workers’ Center hosted a workers’ rights training session for unorganized poultry workers in St. Cloud, Minn. The training was focused on giving unorganized workers tools to stand up for a safe workplaces and helping them build common ground with workers of different cultural backgrounds. More than 70 workers from a variety of plants came out for the training, which was simultaneously conducted in English, Spanish and Somali.
“I am really glad I came to this training with the Somali people,” said one Spanish-speaking worker during the comment portion of the training. “I tried to get my friends to come with me but they were too afraid. I am not afraid. I know we can work together to change our workplace and make it better for everyone.”
December 1, 2015
Bob’s Tire Company Workforce Votes Union “YES” in Historic Victory
This month, the story of a group of immigrant workers who organized and formed a union with UFCW Local 328 at Bob’s Tires Company in New Bedford, Massachusetts, back in September was highlighted in the November issue of Common Ground.
The following is adapted from Local 328’s website:
On Wednesday September 23rd, 2015, the workers of Bob’s Tire Company in New Bedford, Massachusetts voted 65-5 in favor of having UFCW Local 328 represent them during contract negotiations with the company. This was a significant and historic victory for the city of New Bedford, which maintains a very large Central and South American workforce. The workers of Bob’s Tire belong to the K’iche’ ethnic group from Guatemala, and their decisive victory marked the first time a group of workers from the Mayan community have organized with a union.
Meetings with the workers from Bob’s Tire, who are employed by the temporary agency BJ’s Temp Service, began when a delegation of well over half the workforce attended a meeting at CCT, a New Bedford community organization that specializes in fighting for social and economic justice for Latin Americans in the city. Between two meetings held over the course of five days, over 75% of the workers signed union authorization cards, leading us to file a petition shortly thereafter.
Director of CCT Adrian Ventura (far left) with the worker committee from Bob’s Tire Company.
None of this work could have been possible without the help the Local received from the head of CCT, Adrian Ventura. Adrian’s exhaustive efforts for years in the field of social justice advocacy speak volumes not only of his character, but of his commitment to the workers of New Bedford. Working with Adrian and Jobs with Justice, the Local continued to hold meetings with the workers Election Day rapidly approached.
When polls finally opened at 6am at the New Bedford facility, and over the next two hours a majority of the workers cast their ballots until the first block of voting concluded at 8am. The polls opened again at 11am, allowing anyone who had yet to cast a vote to do so, and then closed for the last time at 1pm. As one of the committee members, company officials, community group leaders and union organizers looked on, the representative from the National Labor Relations Board in Boston began tallying the ballots. By the end, a very large pile of “YES” ballots sat next to a diminutive pile of “NO” ballots. The results were signed by the company and the Local, and the first step of a long process toward social and economic justice for the workers of Bob’s Tire was over.
The enormity of this success cannot be understated. A 65-5 vote is not only indicative of the strength of the collective willpower of the workforce at Bob’s Tire, but it is also a reflection of what can be achieved when workers come together to demand a higher quality of life for themselves and for their families. These workers have sent a strong message to the owners of not only this company, but to businesses throughout the city: injustice will not be tolerated, and that workers are willing to stand collectively against it. The workers at Bob’s Tire also sent a message to New Bedford’s K’iche’ community, its Latin American community, and to the city as a whole: the time for worker action is now. The workers at Bob’s Tire are willing to fight to improve their working conditions, their wages, and their benefits. We hope that other workers in the city and beyond take note, and recognize that by working together and speaking as a strong, unified voice, great things can be achieved. In the meantime, congratulations to the workers at Bob’s Tire Company, and we look forward to working with you in the weeks, months, and years to come.
Tomas Ventura, member of the Bob’s Worker Committee and the union observer for the election, holding the final tally.
To see more photos of the workers from Bob’s, see the photo album. (photo credit to Lisa Maya Knauer)
For more news coverage, click here.
November 25, 2015
“Give Back Friday” is First in Series of Holiday Actions to Help Support Workers
Yesterday, the UFCW and Making Change at Walmart officially released a series of holiday actions against Walmart, beginning with a call to action during the week leading up to Black Friday called the “Give Back Friday” initiative.
Give Back Friday is all about helping the hundreds of thousands of hard-working Walmart employees who are paid so poorly that they must rely on assistance from food banks and use food stamps. During this entire Black Friday week, Making Change at Walmart, our progressive partners, and countless other organizations will be hosting food drives in cities across the country the week leading up to Black Friday with a goal to feed 100,000 Walmart workers and families though the holidays.
Locals Unions are asked to share and sign the pledge to donate to a food drive or a food bank in their area. By working together, we can help Walmart workers and their families.
TAKE THE PLEDGE TO HELP US FEED 100,000 WALMART WORKERS AND FAMILIES
Help us feed 100,000 Walmart workers and families and make sure to post about it using the hashtag #GiveBackFriday and #feedhungryworkers.
Together, we can make a difference in the lives of over 100,000 families because no one in America, especially the men and women who work for one of the richest companies in the world, should have go to hungry this Thanksgiving and through the holidays.
November 24, 2015
Member Spotlight: Peter Hoffman, Stop & Shop
Originally posted by Local 1500
It’s not easy to be the first person to arrive at our Union’s General Membership Meeting. It’s even more difficult to arrive eager, excited and alert after riding a bike through the rain for a few miles. But rain or any negativity has never stopped Peter Hoffman, and won’t stop him from riding to any meeting, regardless how hard the commute may be. Peter Hoffman is one of the most dedicated, positive union members in UFCW Local 1500.
“I started out with Local 1500 in 1998,” Hoffman explained, “Ever since then, I’ve been dedicated to the union, seeing how much they care and how much they help workers.” Peter currently works in the Front End at Stop & Shop 516, where he is always talking up the importance of going to union meetings, sticking together and being positive to his coworkers. “My favorite thing about being in a union is being involved with others, and having a place to explain and talk about work issues,” Hoffman explained, “There’s never a right or wrong answer at union meetings, you can say what’s on your mind.”
Peter lives with resounding positivity and pushes solidarity amongst all of his coworkers. “If everyone can stick together we can do amazing things. When people think differently about the union than I do, I tell them why I like the union so much, I’ve been around for a while, I know and have seen people get in trouble, and the union is the only one there to help you,” Hoffman said. He also enjoys raising funds and awareness for various charities like Making Strides Against Breast Cancer or the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
Peter genuinely enjoys helping customers at work, and talking to them about his union. “The best thing I’ve learned in life is to never say never, and don’t give up your belief in yourself. That’s the most important thing in life,” Hoffman said.
November 23, 2015
Victory at Wedge Co-Op in Minneapolis
Last Monday, workers at Wedge Community Co-op in Minneapolis voted to form a union with UFCW Local 1189, making it the first co-op grocery in the Twin Cities area, home to many co-ops, to unionize.
The Wedge employees began their union drive last December, because they wanted to unionize in order to make their jobs sustainable and mirror the values at their workplace, which promotes a sustainable food system. The co-op’s management had already complied with a neutrality agreement they’d signed with unionized warehouse workers. “It was really a worker-driven thing,” Local 1189 Organizing Director Abraham Wangnoo said of the recent victory. “You could just see the excitement in a lot of the people who’d been part of this whole thing.” He added that the workers wanted to be able to “maintain a voice on the job and a sense of control and leadership in the operation of the co-op.”
Once the results of the election are certified by the National Labor Relations Board, the the 136 grocery workers will be part of the UFCW union family
A union drive at the Wedge Table, a cafe and market in the area that is also owned by the Wedge, is still ongoing.
November 16, 2015
Hard-Working IKEA Retail Workers Strike for Union Recognition
Workers Shut Down Normal Operations of Boston-Area Store
via UNI Global Union
BOSTON – Early this morning, workers at a Boston-area IKEA store went on strike, shutting down normal store operations in an effort to improve the lives of hard-working IKEA workers and their families.
The striking workers are the first unionized retail workers at an American IKEA store, and are taking this action in response to IKEA USA’s refusal to recognize their union and enter into contract negotiations.
“Instead of doing what is right, IKEA has chosen to fight its own hard-working employees. That is wrong. All we want is the chance to earn a better life,” said eight-year IKEA coworker Chris DeAngelo. “We are dedicated to our jobs, and wish IKEA would honor its own policy and respect our union rights.”
Today’s action follows the decision of workers in the Goods Flow In department at IKEA Stoughton to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the nation’s largest private sector union with 1.3 million members.
The workers requested that IKEA USA recognize their union after following a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) process that allows companies to voluntarily recognize a union when workers demonstrate majority support. Seventy-five per cent of workers in the bargaining unit signed a petition affirming their desire to join the union.
The action today highlights a failure to follow IKEA Group policies, which explicitly state support for the right of workers to bargain collectively and to join a union of their choice in the company’s internal code of conduct.
The Stoughton IKEA store has been the subject of a recent NLRB complaint filed in Boston, alleging that the company violated federal law by unlawfully infringing on the right of workers to engage in protected union activity. The company has since settled the complaint with the NLRB.
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Join the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) online at www.ufcw.org
We are 1.3 million families standing together to build an economy that every hard-working family deserves.
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