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News and Updates
February 19, 2014
UFCW President Hansen Statement on Gap’s Decision to Raise Wages
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following in response to the Gap’s announcement that it would raise wages for its workers.
“Today’s announcement by the Gap that the retail chain is raising hourly wages for its 65,000 hourly retail workers serves as a challenge to Walmart. The Gap realizes that paying its hourly workers enough to support themselves is an investment in their business and in our economy.
“It is time for Walmart to stand up and lead by investing back into its 1.4 million U.S. workers with hourly pay increases. Academics at the University of California-Berkeley estimated that Walmart could well-afford a wage increase to at least $12.00 an hour for workers with minimal impact on consumer prices. DEMOS researchers outlined a clear plan for Walmart to cut back on its stock buy back program and raise wages in a way that benefits workers and shareholders alike.
“The time is now for Walmart to show leadership and responsibility to its workers and our communities-follow the Gap’s example and raise wages for every hourly Walmart worker.”
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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries.
The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, visit www.ufcw.org, or join our online community at www.facebook.com/UFCWinternational and www.twitter.com/ufcw.
February 19, 2014
Robin Williams of the UFCW Is Elected to the National Board of the NAACP
Washington, D.C. – Robin Williams, the associate director of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union’s (UFCW) Civil Rights and Community Action Department, was elected to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) National Board of Directors on February 13. Williams is a lifelong community activist, organizer and civil rights veteran and has worked at the UFCW for 17 years.
“It’s an honor to be on the national board of our country’s oldest and largest civil rights organization,” said Williams. “The UFCW has been on the front lines of some of the most important civil rights and social justice battles of our time, including employment discrimination, immigration reform, income inequality, voting rights, the right of working families to fair pay, job safety, secure retirements and affordable health care, and holding Walmart—the world’s largest retailer—accountable for driving down the standard of living for millions of retail workers across the country. I look forward to working with the NAACP as we continue to fight for social and economic justice in the workplace and in our communities.”
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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, http://www.ufcw.org/, or join our online community at http://www.facebook.com/ufcwinternational and https://twitter.com/UFCW.
February 19, 2014
A Shining Light in the South: UFCW Organizer Rose Turner
In 1981, Rose Turner was a nursing home worker in the deep south. When workers decided to try and organize to join UFCW Local 1529 that year, Rose immediately got involved, hoping to change the working conditions: “At that time there was no family medical leave. Women–when they got pregnant, they went out and came back [after giving birth] and they didn’t have a job. You were penalized for getting pregnant, because you had no job. One woman even slipped in the kitchen a broke her knee, [and in order for her to not lose her job] her daughter had to come work while she was out.”
Rose also wanted to change the fact that the workers had no say on the job. “At that time, what they said was the gospel, and it didn’t make any difference what you had to say. They were always right. But the icing on the cake,” says Rose, is when the nursing home’s census went down, and “they called all the oldest workers in and said ‘You all’ve got to go’. Their seniority meant nothing. One woman had been there for over 25 years, but it was just who they liked [that mattered].”
But with the union, much turned for the better, and the workers were able to get a raise.
Knowing that the collective voice of the union would be stronger with more workers, Rose says she “got a group of ladies together and we would go to the other nursing homes and tell them what we needed to do to organize,” and for the next several years she worked towards organizing other neighboring nursing homes in her community and surrounding areas of Arkansas and Tennessee.
Over those couple of years, Rose’s hard work didn’t go unnoticed. She was soon contacted by the local and was offered a position as an organizer. Hesitant but wanting to try it out, Rose was scheduled to go on 90-day union leave in order to do so, which her nursing home contract allowed for. However, the day before she was to go on leave, her employer claimed that since she was one of the oldest workers at the nursing home, she couldn’t go on leave. Fed up with her employer’s games, Rose decided to go all-in to be an organizer and continue to help make a difference in other people’s lives. “After meeting with the reps at the union–I had heard about unions and seen different things–but just seeing the importance of it, and once I got started, I was sent down to Mississippi and saw people in an even worse condition then we had been at the nursing homes.”
Rose Turner of Local 1529
The horrible conditions in Mississippi that Rose refers to were that of catfish workers: “They weren’t allowed to go to the bathroom, except once a day. If they went and stayed over five minutes they were being written up. People were losing their thumbs and whole hands [on the lines]. And they didn’t know that the company would keep them on payroll for only a year and then let them go.”
Through her organizing efforts, Rose has worked for more than 18 years to change conditions such as the ones the catfish and nursing home employees experienced, to help give a voice to the workers.
Looking back, Rose says she feels good about “her nursing homes.” She continues to work on organizing campaigns for nursing homes and other industries in the south, and is currently in Tupelo, Mississippi to organize nursing home workers at Golden Living.
“In the south, the minimum wage ain’t nothin’ but 7.25, but none of my nursing homes make minimum wage–in fact, I’ve got some that make twice minimum wage, plus! I feel good about that.” Thanks to their UFCW contracts, the nursing home workers get raises every year. Rose also notes that “they know how much vacation there’s gonna be, and how much sick days they got (which they never had before). So I feel good because I want to know that I wasn’t the only one that progressed or did good because I was in the union–I want people that come behind me to enjoy the benefits, because if it wasn’t for the people before me, I would never have the chance or the opportunity to do what I do today. I wanna know that when I’m gone, people are enjoying the fruit of my labor. I want them to know that it’s not just about me, but everybody.”
Rose always comes back to those who came before her in the fight for civil and worker’s rights: “People paved the way, and we need to pave the way for others to come.” She also notes how intertwined the movements are, saying that “people realize that civil rights have a got a lot to do with workers rights–it’s just like faith and work–you can’t have one without the other, it just ain’t gonna work. You can have faith but without work behind it, it’s no good, and you can have work, but you’ve got to have faith”.
“I’ve been on the trail a long time,” says Rose, of her involvement in the union. Rose is eligible to retire, but she’s not quite ready yet: “When I retire I wanna know that I have done all that I can do. I’ve got a few other contracts and other things I want to [see through].”
Rose and the others who continue to fight for workers rights are a bright spot in the south, which has traditionally been hostile towards unions. Its thanks to workers and organizers like them that the worker movement is spreading–workers in Chatanooga, TN recently came close to organizing with UAW at the VW plant, and Moral Mondays have spread from Raleigh, NC to cities across the country to bring awareness to social justice issues. Its proof that when people stand together, change it inevitable.
February 12, 2014
Lanette Edwards of Local 1625 Teaches Boy Scouts About the Labor Movement
Lanette Edwards, of UFCW Local 1625 in Lakeland, Fla., is teaching the Boy Scouts what the labor movement is all about. Last year, Lanette held a class with over 30 Boy Scouts, where she talked about American Labor merit badge. The American Labor merit badge was introduced in 1986 to the Boy Scouts of America; however, over the past several years, this merit badge has been earned less frequently by scouts. Lanette has made every effort to help the Boy Scouts in her community learn about the American labor movement and revitalize this merit badge within Local 1625 and her local Boy Scout Council.
Lanette taught the Boy Scouts about the history of the labor movement, as well as the organizational structure of the UFCW and AFL-CIO and opportunities in the field of labor relations. The National Boy Scouts of America Community Services Committee, in recognition of Lanette’s significant contribution to the Boy Scouts of America, was awarded the AFL-CIO’s Wood Badge scholarship which will assist selected union members in acquiring skills that will better equip them to serve the youths in their communities.
Lanette was awarded the George Meany Award by the Boy Scouts of America and West Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, for her work in teaching youths about the American labor movement.
February 12, 2014
Bob’s Furniture Workers Say “Yes” to a Union Voice and Join UFCW Local 328
Bob’s Furniture workers in Attleboro, Mass., voted to join UFCW Local 328.
Last week, more than a dozen workers at Bob’s Furniture in Attleboro, Mass., came together for a union voice at work and voted to join UFCW Local 328.
The Bob’s Furniture workers were focused on job security during their campaign to become part of UFCW Local 328. Job security will also be a key element in their contract when negotiations begin.
February 10, 2014
UFCW Minority Coalition Kicks Off Trailblazers Publication with Tribute to Addie Wyatt
February 7, 2014
Black History Month Member Spotlight: Mike Dillard
For this week’s member spotlight, we chatted with Local 75 member and steward Mike Dillard. Mike has worked at Kroger stores in Cincinnati, Ohio and in nearby Kentucky for 25 years now, and has seen how being a union member truly makes a difference in the workplace. Today, he is an assistant meat manager.
In honor of Black History Month, he also shared with us some stories of his his grandfather and father, who lived during the height of the civil rights movement.
Local 75 member and steward Mike Dillard
His father, a retired one star general and doctor, was the second black general in Ohio, and was a participant in several marches for equality in the 60’s. His grandfather, Mike tells us, was a doctor during World War I. However, when Mike’s grandfather Charles served during the war in the army, they refused to recognize his M.D., and made him scrub latrines instead. Although Mike remembers this story of his grandfather’s with sadness, he notes that he went on to later found a radiology center at the University of Michigan, with pride.
Mike also shares that he recently discovered that he and his family are direct descendants of a unit in the Civil War called the Black Brigade. Mike explains that during the Civil War, many African Americans living in Kentucky moved slightly further north into Ohio because it was less hostile towards them, and to escape the Confederacy which had moved up into Kentucky. When the confederates were on the verge of attacking the Cincinnati area, Union troops began taking black men against their will and put them to work to fortify the city and build trenches. But upon hearing this, one of the Union generals was outraged that these men had been forced to work, and demanded their release and an apology. Once the group of African American men returned to their homes, they were then asked if they would be willing to volunteer their time helping build defenses and fortifications for the city. Despite the previous gross violation of their human rights–being made to work against their will–nearly 1,000 African American men from the area agreed to help the Union troops. This group of men was dubbed the Black brigade, and became the first of many such groups to form throughout the country–building bridges and trenches, hauling cannons, and assisting the cause in many other ways. Mike notes that thanks to the help of this Black Brigade, the Confederacy was effectively kept out of Ohio and they saw no bloodshed. There is even a memorial statue in a nearby park that commemorates the group, Mike says.
Unfortunately, Mike has experienced some conflict in his own experiences too, having dealt with a verbally and at one point physically abusive manager for a time. Thankfully, being a union member meant that Mike had the support he needed to get out of the situation. Mike says he tries to use what he has learned as a union worker, as well as his family’s rich history dealing with fighting for civil rights, to help his fellow union members.
“I’m a nice guy and I try to keep an open mind and good rapport with managers and my fellow associates,” say Mike. When Mike tells us that it is “better to get more bees with honey than it is with vinegar”, we are reminded of the teachings and actions of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bayard Rustin, both Civil Rights leaders who valued peaceful protest rather than violence.
As Mike reflects, he notes that the fight for equal civil rights and the fight for equal workers rights often have the same goal. When telling someone about the union at work, Mike explains that “you have a stronger voice with more people, just like with civil rights, you know if you have one person yellin’, you’re not going to be heard as much as 10,000 people yelling” for the same cause. “With both the union and with the civil rights movement, you have solidarity. It’s about being fair, and everyone having the rights that they should have.”
Do you have a story to share about being a union member, or about participating in the civil rights movement? Let us know here!
February 5, 2014
UFCW President Hansen Statement on Revival of NLRB Election Rule
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following in response to the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) reviving a proposal to streamline union elections.
“When the Senate cleared a path for the current NLRB to be confirmed, I called it the best day for workers and their families in years, if not longer. Today we are beginning to see why. I salute the Board for reviving a common sense and desperately needed proposal to streamline the process for workers to form a union. Too many employers use frivolous litigation and other technicalities to create delays so they can intimidate, harass, and in some cases fire pro-union employees before an actual vote occurs. This proposal would limit the influence of bad actors and ensure workers can have their voices heard in a fair and timely fashion. I hope this is the first of many steps the NLRB will take to carry out their mission of promoting collective bargaining.”
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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, visit www.ufcw.org, or join our online community at www.facebook.com/UFCWinternational and www.twitter.com/ufcw.
February 5, 2014
UFCW President Hansen Statement on House GOP Immigration Principles
WASHINGTON, D.C. —Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), released the following statement in response to the principles for immigration reform issued by House Republicans.
“More than one year after President Obama laid out his plan for comprehensive immigration reform and seven months after the Senate passed legislation on a bipartisan basis, House Republicans have put forward their principles for reform. I hope this step, however belated, will move the immigration debate forward. But words alone are not enough. UFCW members, immigrant communities, and the majority of Americans are demanding action. That means passing a bill like H.R. 15 and working with the Senate to get a final product to President Obama’s desk. The principles issued by House Republicans are short on details and what is included looks like more of the same. For instance, the idea of additional guest workers and legalization based on enforcement triggers are complete nonstarters. It is long past time for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship for aspiring Americans and strong protections for immigrant workers. The UFCW calls on House Republicans to stop delaying and bring legislation up for a vote.”
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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, visit www.ufcw.org, or join our online community at www.facebook.com/UFCWinternational and www.twitter.com/ufcw.
February 5, 2014
Black History Month Celebrations: Show Host Richard Fowler Empowers Youth to Make a Difference
To continue our celebration of Black History Month, we are sharing another story of someone who has made a great impact on civil rights and economic equality. That person is Richard Fowler.After years of going into the voting booth with his mother as a young child, Fowler learned the importance of being an active voice in one’s community. Working with the NAACP, he has helped over 1000 young voters in his native Florida to get registered and organize. He has also worked as a campaign manager for political candidates, to work on issues that uplift women, youth of color, and LGBTQ and low-income communities.
Working with youth in order to empower them to make a difference in their own and their communities’ lives is clearly important to Fowler, who has trained about 2,000 young people on how to make their voices heard through messaging and media. Fowler’s trainings no doubt draw on his experiences as the host of his own radio show (The Richard Fowler Show), which has recently partnered with the popular show The Young Turks. Additionally, Fowler serves as the interim director of Generational Alliance, which is made up of over 20 youth organizations dedicated to increasing collaboration and coordination within the youth movement through the following methods:
1. Create cultural spaces for young progressive leaders
2. Sit in progressive spaces that have historically left out underrepresented communities
3. Provide trainings for staff of members’ organizations to fill the leadership development gap
4. Help organizations collaborate on advocacy issues they align with
5. Uplift and promote their communications efforts through media training, booking and digital organizing
Fowler’s work at the Alliance and at his own show also includes educating folks on important issues, like the Affordable Care Act, via YouTube videos.
Fowler is carrying the torch of the leaders of the civil rights movement who came before him, using new media and technology to inspire young people to make a difference in new ways. To learn more, you can follow him on Twitter @RichardAFowler.