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News and Updates
February 3, 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), today 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 3, 2014
This Black History Month, We Honor Bayard Rustin
photo credit: jrcla.org
February once again marks the beginning of Black History Month–a time to remember and celebrate the rich history of African Americans and the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement.
One of the greatest moments of the Civil Rights era was the March on Washington in 1963–one of the largest non-violent protests to ever occur in America. The March on Washington brought thousands of people of all races together, in the name of equal rights for everyone–whether they were black or white, rich or poor, Muslim or Christian. Dr. Marin Luther King, Jr. made one of his most inspiring and famous speeches at the march, which culminated on the National mall.
But history has often overlooked the man who was the driving force behind this monumental event–a man named Bayard Rustin. Rustin was the one who organized the march, bringing methods used by Gandhi as well as the Quaker religion to Washington to ensure peace, but also impact. It was Rustin who helped shape Dr. King into the iconic symbol of peace he is remembered as.
As a young adult, Rustin worked with many kinds of people who influenced his activism, including ministers and labor organizers. During World War II, Rustin fought against racial discrimination in war-related hiring, and was later jailed for two years after refusing to enter the draft. Then, after protesting segregated transit systems, he was sentenced to work on a chain gang for several weeks.
Despite being punished for his beliefs, Rustin continued to work towards changing things for the better. In 1953, Bayard Rustin arrived in Montgomery, Alabama to partake in the famous bus boycott that kicked off after Rosa Parks was arrested after refusing to give up her seat on the bus for a white man. The boycott brought many civil rights leaders to the area, including a young Dr. Martin Luther King, who had not yet embraced non-violence. But Rustin taught many who were partaking in the boycott how Gandhi had used peaceful tactics to bring change in India, and people saw the importance of these tactics, and began to embrace them, focusing on direct protest.
Rustin was also a champion of workers rights. In 1965, Rustin and his mentor A. Philip Randolph co-founded the A. Philip Randolph Institute, a labor organization for African-American trade union members.
Although Bayard Rustin was a tireless activist, his life achievements are unknown to many, and he has even been called the “lost prophet” of the civil rights movement. This is largely because not only was Rustin silenced and threatened like many others were for being a black man speaking out for equal rights, but also because he was openly gay in a time when homophobia and bigotry was rampant. Rustin continued his life as an openly gay man, even after being incarcerated for it, and is seen as a champion of the LGBT movement still today. Despite being beaten, arrested, jailed, and fired from various leadership positions, Rustin overcame and made a huge impact on the civil and economic rights movements.
America has a long way to go before Rustin’s dreams of equal human rights for all are achieved, but without him, we perhaps would not be where we are today. Today, we have a black president, more women in leadership positions, and more of legislation in the states overturning old and outdated laws barring gay couples from marrying. These are just a few examples of the progress our country has made since Rustin’s time, and working people will continue to work so that ALL people have equal rights–at work and at home.
January 30, 2014
Members Can Share Their Stories, Commemorate Black History Month
The UFCW is proud to continue its yearly tradition of commemorating Black History Month each February. UFCW members have been at the forefront of a movement fighting for civil rights and equality, and justice for workers everywhere.
To continue that tradition, the UFCW is collecting stories from members and local unions that illustrate Black History Month by celebrating vicotries and heros of the fight for equality.
Submissions can include stories about UFCW members, staff members, politicians or civil rights leaders who deserve to be honored during Black History Month. Any stories about local unions, past or present, that showcase the fight for equality and the power of a union are welcomed as well.
Members and local union staff can send their stories, photos, suggestions or thoughts to submissions@ufcw.org to possibly be featured on the UFCW website, or can submit them to our ‘share your story‘ form.
January 29, 2014
SOTU Recap
President Obama delivered the State of the Union on Tuesday night, addressing a number of concerns submitted to us throughout the week by UFCW members. Here are highlights from his address:
“Today, the federal minimum wage is worth about twenty percent less than it was when Ronald Reagan first stood here. Tom Harkin and George Miller have a bill to fix that by lifting the minimum wage to $10.10. This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. It doesn’t involve any new bureaucratic program. So join the rest of the country. Say yes. Give America a raise.”
Along with issuing an executive order that creates a $10.10 minimum wage for federal contractors, President Obama called on Congress to pass the Harkin-Miller bill which would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10, index it to inflation, and ensure no one who works full-time in America lives in poverty.
“Citizenship means standing up for everyone’s right to vote. Last year, part of the Voting Rights Act was weakened. But conservative Republicans and liberal Democrats are working together to strengthen it; and the bipartisan commission I appointed last year has offered reforms so that no one has to wait more than a half hour to vote. Let’s support these efforts. It should be the power of our vote, not the size of our bank account, that drives our democracy.”
Every single American has the right to vote, but being forced to wait hours to exercise this right is unfair and wrong. President Obama’s bipartisan voting commission has and will continue to take steps towards making sure every eligible voter can access the polls.
“I’m also convinced we can help Americans return to the workforce faster by reforming unemployment insurance so that it’s more effective in today’s economy. But first, this Congress needs to restore the unemployment insurance you just let expire for 1.6 million people.”
Millions of Americans are still without a job and struggling to make ends meet. President Obama called for the restoration of unemployment insurance because it is simply wrong to cut off assistance to people who lost their job through no fault of their own.
“Finally, if we are serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, and law enforcement – and fix our broken immigration system.”
President Obama, along with most Americans and the UFCW believe that aspiring Americans should be allowed to step out of the shadows and onto a fair path to citizenship.
The State of the Union made it clear that President Obama wants to assist Americans who have not yet seen or felt a full recovery from the Great Recession. It is time for Congress to do their part to help working families find the success they deserve in 2014.
January 28, 2014
UFCW Statement in Response to Hearing on ACA Employer Mandate
WASHINGTON, D.C. —The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) today released the following statement in response to a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer mandate and its impact on workers’ hours.
“The UFCW appreciates that the House Ways and Means Committee is exploring the very real problem of employers cutting workers’ hours in response to the ACA. However, both the Forty Hours is Full Time Act and the Save American Workers Act are good sounding names for bad policy. Instead of eliminating the incentive for reducing workers’ hours, these bills would make the problem worse by allowing companies to get off scot free for failing to cover those who work between 30 and 39 hours a week—including many UFCW members in the retail industry. This is not about protecting workers—it’s about appeasing large employers that want to avoid paying their fair share for health care. An analysis by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education found that this approach would put three times as many workers in danger of having their hours cut. For these workers, fewer hours means less money to support their families. There is a better way forward. The House should pass Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights which would amend the ACA to impose a pro-rated penalty on employers who do not provide health care to part-timers. This would effectively end the incentive for cutting hours.”
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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.
January 28, 2014
UFCW Statement in Response to Hearing on ACA Employer Mandate
WASHINGTON, D.C. —The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) today released the following statement in response to a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer mandate and its impact on workers’ hours. January 28, 2014
Labor Movement Mourns Loss of Activist Folk Singer Pete Seeger
Today we are saddened to hear the news of the passing of folk singer and songwriter Pete Seeger, who was an activist with a profound impact on the labor movement.
Over the last few decades, Mr. Seeger took part in hundreds of rallys in support of various labor unions and the civil rights movement, often entertaining them with his music as well.
Mr. Seeger’s involvement with unions dates back to the time in the 1940’s when he worked with the Congress of Industrial Organizations. Aside from his participation in rallys to support labor, he has also teamed up with the likes of Woody Guthrie to record songs like “The Talking Union Blues”, which were often performed during strikes and other union events.
Through his music, Mr. Seeger believed he could bring people together to create change and solve issues. In the past, he was quoted as saying, “We have problems that still need to be solved today, like corporations running the country.” Many today believe that his songs did just that–unite people under a common cause that might not have joined together otherwise. He had a gift that was able to speak to rank and file union members, no matter what issue they were currently dealing with.
Pete Seeger will surely be missed by all those continuing to work for workers rights, but his music will always be here to remind us that when we stand together, we are strong.
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January 23, 2014
Member Spotlight: Mechelle Cunningham
In this week’s member spotlight, we’re highlighting the story of another longtime UFCW member, who like last week’s spotlight member, is also from West Virginia.
Local 23 member Mechelle Cunningham caught our attention when we saw how she spearheaded a collection drive at her workplace–Giant Eagle in Morgantown, West Virginia. After hearing about a friend who had donated some water and that trucks were bringing water to people in her state who were affected by the chemical spill in and around Charleston, WV, Mechelle looked at the 3 pallets of water on the store floor in front of her and told her manager she wanted to purchase them and have them removed from the store floor. Her manager, knowing the cost was around $560 dollars, said, “Today?” Mechelle’s response was automatic.
Local 23 members Robin Gable, Teresa Policicchio, Mechelle Cunningham, and Anna Sisler.
“I didn’t think about the price–I just knew that my fellow employees would gather together to purchase that water to send down there. I told her that one way or another we’d get the money, and we did!” Together, Mechelle, her fellow union members, and other members of the community were able to send 17 pallets of water to those in need.
For Mechelle, being a union member means “standing up for your rights, and helping one another”. When talking with Mechelle, its clear that the ‘helping one another’ part is big for her, as demonstrated by her role in the donation of the water pallets: “We all really help one another and donate for different causes and support each other, and especially with something that large for our community, you know, people not having water–that’s a main thing, you have to have that.”
Mechelle is coming up on her 40th year as a UFCW member and has experienced first-hand how being in a union means there’s always someone there to help–“to back you and support you”. Mechelle finds that oftentimes, many people don’t know about the union, and until they sit down and talk about it, don’t fully understand what it is. “I just have such a strong belief in the union,” says Mechelle, which is why she helps spread the word at work about how people–often younger members who haven’t been through strikes for better working conditions like she has–can protect their rights. By sharing her own experiences as a union member, and how it has helped her, she finds that she is helping them understand, even when there isn’t something currently happening.
Active community members like Mechelle inspire us every day. Do you know a UFCW member whose story we could share? Tell us about them at http://www.ufcw.org/resources/members/share-your-story/
January 23, 2014
Appy Now for the Union Plus Scholarship!
The deadline to apply for a Union Plus scholarship is quickly approaching. There are nine days left for union members and their families to submit their applications for a Union Plus scholarship, ranging from $500 to $4,000.
Applications, including essays and a reference letter, must be submitted by Friday, January 31 at 12pm EST.
Union Plus provides $150,000 in scholarships annually to retired or active members who belong to a union participating in any of the Union Plus programs. Spouses and dependent children (as defined by the IRS) are also eligible. For more information about eligibility and how to apply, or to learn more about the Union Plus Scholarship, please visit: UnionPlus.org/Scholarship
January 22, 2014
What’s the State of Your Union?
President Obama will be making his fifth State of the Union address this Tuesday, January 8th.
The past few years have shown progress, but too many Americans have yet to see the economic recovery that they deserve.
Working class families are being attacked from all sides. Increasing levels of income inequality are threatening their economic mobility. No rights at work laws are weakening the basic right of workers to stick together. Cuts to jobless benefits and food stamp programs are forcing people who were already struggling to somehow live on even less.
President Obama is expected to touch on these issues and more in his State of the Union address – as he should.
There is a growing realization in America that the income gap has grown to unacceptable proportions. This did not happen overnight. For decades, groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) have carried water for large corporations and special interests by promoting and passing bills that oppose minimum wage standards and anti-poverty programs.
Working people across the country are tired of being denied their fair share and they’re fighting back. Legislation and referendums seeking to raise the minimum wage have been promoted and passed in multiple states.
There is also hope within both sides of the U.S. Congress that the Harkin-Miller bill, a piece of federal legislation which would raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour and index it to inflation, will be considered in the coming year.
Along with policies to help reverse the rising tide of economic disparity, President Obama is expected to renew the push for common sense immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship. A majority of Americans continue to agree that the time is now for comprehensive immigration reform – may 2014 be the year both chambers listen.
What would you like to see discussed in the State of the Union Address? What issues are affecting the state of your union?
Let us know by posting on our facebook page or filling out this online form with the hashtag #MySOTU.
We’ll read your responses and post them on the blog next week before the President’s State of the Union Address. We’ll also tweet some of your responses at President Obama to remind him what working people are saying.