January 20, 2015

Member Spotlight: Rob Robertson

For our first member spotlight of 2015, we chatted with Local 464-A member Rob Robertson. Rob has been a UFCW member for six years now, starting at Food Town and now working in the Food Service Department at Shoprite in Cliffwood, New Jersey.

Rob says he’s thankful to be a union member, because the benefits he receives at his UFCW shop enable him “to afford my own place and plan a future with my fiance.”

Those union benefits also helped him during a time when he was really in need. A while back, Rob was in a car accident, which left him with injuries, and his car totaled. But thanks to the medical insurance his UFCW job provided, 80% of his bills were covered, even as a part-time employee. Rob also notes that he wouldn’t be able to afford his two prescription medications at a non-union job.

Rob also says that he appreciates the stability and security that his union job provides him. “Food service is my career, and I’ve worked all over the place in the industry,” he says, “but at a restaurant or places like that, a manager can simply tell you to go home during your shift, and that’s that–you get no say or opinion in the matter. But when you have a union job, your manager or supervisor has to consider you, and treat you with respect. I wish that every business would treat the people who work for them with the respect that our union enables them.”

That respect doesn’t just come from management, Rob notes, but coworkers as well. He values the UFCW stewards in his workplace, who he says are there to answer questions and help fellow union members whenever they can.

For those considering working at a UFCW workplace, adds Rob, think about where you see yourself in a few years. “If you want to move up in your career, then join a union–they ensure you can do that,” concludes Rob.

If you want to share your UFCW story with us, visit http://www.ufcw.org/resources/members/share-your-story/

You can also send us a photo of yourself at work, wearing your UFCW gear, or just at home, with your name, store, local, and a quick quote about why you love being a UFCW member, to Submissions@ufcw.org and we may feature you on Instagram! Follow us at @ufcw_international to keep tabs on what else is happening around the union.

January 12, 2015

UFCW Mourns the Loss of International Vice President Chad Young

Chad Young, International Vice President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) passed away at home on January 11, 2015.  He was 57.

As a young man growing up in Austin, Minnesota, Chad was inspired by his father, Roger, who was an active union member and organizer in the United Packinghouse Workers of America, a predecessor union to the UFCW. Chad was an accomplished Golden Gloves boxer in his youth, and he carried that fighting spirit with him throughout his life as he fought for workers and their union.

His life was driven completely by two words: union and family. And for Chad, those two values were interlocked.  The day he first clocked in to work at Hormel Foods in Austin, Minnesota in 1981, he joined UFCW Local 9 and began his lifelong career as a fighter for his union family. He stepped forward to lead as a union steward at Hormel in 1983 and again, later, as a volunteer union organizer where he worked on a number of campaigns in Iowa and Minnesota during a time of great change in the meatpacking industry. Chad was also part of a team of UFCW organizers who inspired nurses in Washington State to join together in his union.

Chad joined the staff of the UFCW International Union in 1988 and brought his fighting spirit and warm heart to worker campaigns across the country. He played a key role in the early efforts to win a union voice for workers at Smithfield Foods in Tar Heel, North Carolina, serving as a key leader during an election there in 1997.

In 1999, he was promoted to the UFCW International Office as Executive Assistant to the Packing House Director in Washington D.C. In 2005, Chad was named Director of Region 5 – South-central, and was elected as an International Vice President in 2006.  He was reelected in August 2013 at the UFCW International Convention in Chicago, Illinois.

Chad was a true warrior of the labor movement. He loved being a part of the UFCW. He was proud to wake up every morning and fight for working men and women. He was loved by many for his sense of humor, hearty laugh and passion for the union and its members.

Chad is survived by his wife, Lynn Young, his mother Esther Young, daughters Heather Young, Ashley Young, Jamie Colbert and Kelly Colbert, sisters Mona Young and Patti Jo Corey and granddaughters Maya and Cameryn. He is preceded in death by his father Roger Young.

The viewing will take place on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Lucas Funeral Home, 700 West Wall Street, Grapevine, TX 76051. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, 422 Church Street, Grapevine, TX 76051.

January 9, 2015

Inspiring Messages from Policymakers, Union Leaders, Workers at Summit on Raising Wages

This past Wednesday, the AFL-CIO sponsored a national Summit on Raising Wages. The summit featured a wide range of speakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Labor Secretary Thomas Perez and actress Piper Perabo, and was attended by the UFCW and many others who expressed the importance of higher wages for working Americans.

Senator Elizabeth Warren was a commanding presence during the event, speaking about how raising the minimum wage is imperative to decreasing inequality. “Trickle-down economics was nothing more than helping the rich and powerful get more rich and powerful,” she said.

Labor Secretary Tom Perez echoed Warren’s statements, and talked about how working together will lead to success in creating a fair system for all: “You shouldn’t have to win the geographic lottery to get a good wage.”

OUR Walmart member Colby Harris was also among the panelists, and addressed the crowd about his first hand experience living on less than liveable wages at Walmart, as well as being retaliated against by his employers when advocating for better pay.

International AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka also spoke, urging that raising wages “is not a hobby. It’s our mission. It’s a beginning, not an ending.”

He also talked about the labor federation’s plans to immediately launch #RaiseTheWage campaigns and summits in additional cities. Part of these campaigns, he also added, is the fight for state and local paid sick days and equal pay for men and women, as well as people of all races.

You can watch the entire live-stream of the event here:

January 8, 2015

“40 Hours” Bill Would Harm Workers

The Save American Workers Act is misleadingly named legislation that would actually do great harm to working men and women.

There is no doubt that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has created an incentive for employers to cut their workers’ hours below 30 to avoid paying a penalty.

But instead of fixing this loophole, the Save American Workers Act would reduce the number of people receiving employment-based health care and allow employers to get off scot free for failing to cover those who work between 30 and 39 hours a week. In addition, it would put three times as many workers in danger of having their hours cut.

The underlying issue would be best addressed by passing the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights which would penalize employers under the ACA for failing to provide health care to part-timers and end the incentive for cutting hours. Unfortunately, that bill has not had a single hearing.

Members of Congress should oppose this legislation and if it reaches President Obama’s desk, he should veto it.

January 7, 2015

In Many States, the New Year Equals New Minimum Wage Increases

2015 brought a pay raise for millions of Americans as minimum wage increases go into effect across the country. Minimum wage workers in 21 states and the District of Columbia will see their pay rise. For the first time ever, a majority of U.S. states will have a minimum wage above the federal minimum.

From supporting a ballot initiative in Arkansas to lobbying for the passage of legislation in Maryland, these wage hikes are happening in large part because of the hard work and dedication of UFCW members.

UFCW members have championed a raise for workers because the current minimum wage has left too many families struggling to make ends meet. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 has seen its spending power fall by nearly one-third since its peak in 1968 – it fails to keep workers and their families out of poverty.

In his 2014 State of the Union address, President Obama called on Congress to raise the minimum wage to a living wage of $10.10 and they failed to act. In 2015, UFCW members will be pushing the 114^th Congress to follow the lead of 29 states and the nation’s capital and raise the minimum wage so that no worker is forced to live in poverty.

January 6, 2015

Wednesday: Watch Live Stream of National Summit on Wages

Be sure to tune in Wednesday on the AFL-CIO Now blog for the live stream of the first National Summit on Raising Wages. The summit, sponsored by the AFL-CIO, will examine concrete and progressive steps to raise wages for working people to help solve the dilemma of income inequality that plagues the United States.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) will deliver the keynote address and the summit will feature a roundtable discussion by a diverse group including academics, business owners, prominent leaders—including Labor Secretary Thomas Perez—and everyday working people. Click here for the agenda.

December 18, 2014

Get Last Minute Made-in-the-USA Holiday Gifts!

Adapted from Union Plus article from Consumer Reports

Union members looking for complete ratings, as well as expert advice on the highest rated consumer products, make sure to sign up for ConsumerReports.org with your Union Plus 27% online subscription discount.

Green and red may be the predominant colors of the season, but a lot of shoppers have red, white, and blue on their minds when it comes to holiday shopping. While many industries have outsourced jobs and production overseas or south of the border, Consumer Reports tracked down goods of all stripes that continue to be made in America, a significant buying consideration for some shoppers. Given a choice between a product made in the U.S. and an identical one made abroad, 78 percent of consumers would prefer to buy the American product, according to a nationally representative survey by Consumer Reports National Research Center.

After decades of outsourcing, domestic production is becoming increasingly attractive to manufacturers in various sectors including technology, energy, appliances, even apparel.

If you’re among those who are motivated to buy American, here’s a list of widely known firms that make or assemble products here. But take note: Parts and materials may come from domestic as well as foreign sources. Also, not everything a company manufactures is necessarily American-made. Sometimes, it’s a particular line or two, or just a handful of products.

For instance, Red Wing Shoes of Red Wing, Minn., makes just two collections here, its Heritage and Handsewn footwear. Also, in the age of globalization, firms may have manufacturing facilities in multiple countries to meet international demand. Massachusetts-based Acushnet, maker of Titleist golf balls, has a plant in Thailand. How can you discern a product’s heritage? Inspect the packaging for country of origin information, which is required by law for goods produced abroad. You can also contact the manufacturer to ask which products are the real deal. Another good starting point to identify homegrown products: Check out sites such as madeinusa.org,americansworking.com, and madeinamericaforever.com.

Kitchen and housewares: All-Clad, Nordicware, and Lodge cookware; Lasko, known mostly for its fans; Dacor, Wolf, DCS, and Viking cooktops, ovens, and ranges; Sub Zero refrigerators; Maytag and Amana washers, dryers, refrigerators, and ranges; KitchenAid small appliances including stand mixers; Kirby and Oreck vacuum cleaners; Wahl shavers, trimmers, and grooming devices; Bunn-O-Matic coffee makers; Pyrex glassware; Tervis Tumblers (insulated acrylic cups and ice buckets); Lamson & Goodnow and Cutco cutlery; Vitamix blenders; Harden Furniture; Framburg lighting fixtures.

Apparel, footwear, and accessories: American Apparel; Woolrich (mostly blankets and throws); Texas Jeans; True Religion jeans (only core items such as the “Ricky” jeans); Wigwam socks; Allen Edmonds shoes; Kepner Scott childrens shoes; New Balance athletic shoes; Wolverine footwear; Pendleton woolens (notably its Portland Collection and the company’s wool blankets and throws); Stetson hats; Chippewa boots; Annin flags; Filson; LL Bean; Land’s End; Orvis; Brooks Brothers.

Tools and home care: Stihl power equipment including string trimmers, blowers, and chain saws; Purdy paint brushes and rollers; Channellock, Moody, and Stanley hand tools; Maglite flashlights; and Shop Vac wet-and-dry vacuum cleaners.

Miscellanous: Lenovo computers and tablets; McIntosh Labs high-end audio components; Grado Labs headphones; Gibson and Martin guitars; Steinway pianos; Crayola crayons; Wilson sporting goods (NFL footballs); Hillerich & Bradsby (Louisville Slugger wooden baseball bats); Tamrac camera bags; K’Nex, Little Tykes, and Tinkertoy toys.