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News and Updates
April 9, 2013
UFCW President Hansen Statement on NLRB Nominations
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Hansen, International President of the UFCW, today released the following statement after President Obama made three nominations to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
“Senate Republicans have made a mockery of their constitutional responsibility to advise and consent on nominations to the NLRB. Senator Lindsey Graham says the Board is out of control but it is his caucus that has made obstruction an art form. President Obama could nominate Mitch McConnell to the NLRB and Senate Republicans would still likely block him. Their motive is clear—they do not believe in the right to organize and resent that the agency charged with protecting workers is actually doing its job. Later this week, House Republicans will go a step further and consider a disgraceful bill to shut down the Board all together. The Senate now has before it a full package of nominees to the NLRB. It is time for Republicans to put ideology aside, do their job, and allow for prompt consideration. America’s workers deserve nothing less.”
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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.
April 9, 2013
UFCW President Hansen Statement on NLRB Nominations
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement after President Obama made three nominations to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
“Senate Republicans have made a mockery of their constitutional responsibility to advise and consent on nominations to the NLRB. Senator Lindsey Graham says the Board is out of control but it is his caucus that has made obstruction an art form. President Obama could nominate Mitch McConnell to the NLRB and Senate Republicans would still likely block him. Their motive is clear—they do not believe in the right to organize and resent that the agency charged with protecting workers is actually doing its job. Later this week, House Republicans will go a step further and consider a disgraceful bill to shut down the Board all together. The Senate now has before it a full package of nominees to the NLRB. It is time for Republicans to put ideology aside, do their job, and allow for prompt consideration. America’s workers deserve nothing less.”
###
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.
April 9, 2013
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Union rally in St. Charles aims at influencing Missouri Senate leader, other GOP lawmakers
By Mark Schlinkmann 
ST. CHARLES • About 200 union members rallied here Monday to build some pressure on the Republican-run Missouri Legislature – and Senate leader Tom Dempsey of St. Charles in particular – to reject bills they consider anti-labor.
“Let me make this very clear to every elected official,” said Dave Cook, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655. “We will not back down, we will not go away, we will not stop. We will door-knock your constituents.”
Lawmakers should “stop busting unions and start growing the economy,” Cook said.
The afternoon event, at Frontier Park, was partly aimed at a Senate-approved bill that would require many government employee unions to get annual written consent from a member before dues can be deducted from his or her paycheck.
Yearly consent also would be required before fees could be used for political purposes. The measure is now in a House committee.
“All they want to do is eliminate your voice in politics so they can run rampant over us for years to come,” Cook said.
Many wore yellow T-shirts identifying themselves as members of Cook’s union. Other unions also were represented.
Also opposed by organized labor are House-approved measures to change the way the state figures prevailing wage requirements for public construction work and to allow outstate school districts to opt out of the requirements. Those measures are in Senate committees.
Then there is labor’s overriding concern in recent years: right-to-work legislation that would outlaw employment contracts that make union dues a condition of employment.
Cook commended Dempsey, a Republican and the Senate president pro tem, for opposing right-to-work but said the other measures should be stopped as well.
Unions usually support Democrats but last year endorsed Dempsey, who ran unopposed for re-election. Some other St. Louis area Republicans also have been on good terms.
Dempsey, reached by telephone in Jefferson City, said he voted for the public employee bill because he doesn’t think it overburdens a union doing a good job for its members to have to obtain annual consent for dues and fees.
He said, however, that he believes imposing such requirements on private-sector unions wouldn’t withstand a court challenge.
As for prevailing wage, he said revamping that law is a priority for Senate Republicans because in many areas of Missouri the wages required for government projects are above those paid in the private sector. He didn’t endorse a particular measure.
“The attempt is not to repeal prevailing wage but to make it more representative,” he said.
Dempsey added that he has supported several measures that would boost the economy, such as incentives for air cargo exports and a sales tax hike for highway work.
April 4, 2013
Keany Produce Drivers Say ‘Yes” to a Union Voice with UFCW Local 400
Keany Produce drivers in Landover, Md. overwhelmingly voted to join UFCW Local 400.
On Friday, March 29, Keany Produce drivers stood up for their rights, living standards, safety, and health and retirement security by voting overwhelmingly for representation by UFCW Local 400.
After years of frustration over low pay, inadequate benefits, inconsistent hours, and unfair treatment, many of the 140 drivers decided they needed to empower themselves through collective bargaining. After an intensive, months-long, worker-led organizing drive, they won in a landslide.
“Divided we fall, united we stand,” said Terrance Helm, a Keany Produce driver who spearheaded the organizing effort. “It’s been a collective effort and we all came together.”
“I love my co-workers,” he said. “I have such an appreciation for all the hard work and the sacrifices they’ve made, and the strength they showed in standing up to management.”
Today, in the wake of their victory, morale among the workers is at an all-time high, Helm observed, and they are looking forward to sitting down across the bargaining table with management.
“We’re here to fight until the end,” he said.
Keany Produce is a wholesale produce distributor located in Landover, Md.
April 2, 2013
Labor and Business Reach Deal on Employment-Based Visa Program
Over the weekend, labor and business reached an agreement which includes a new kind of worker visa program called the W-Visa. This is a key step in the push for comprehensive immigration reform.
The UFCW has been one of the main players in the negotiations, lobbying for reform that creates a process for determining the need and allocation of employment-based visas. The UFCW has said reform must establish a methodology for assessing labor shortages and determine the impact of visas on the economy, wages, the workforce, and business. This agreement meets those principles.
Under the new visa program, workers will have the ability to self-petition for permanent status after a year and they are not tied to a single employer. Unlike previous programs, this one is data-driven and will be staffed by experts in economics, labor markets, demographics and other specialties needed to identify labor shortages and make recommendations on the number of visas. Visa holders will be paid fairly, meaning their wages will not adversely affect the wages or working conditions of U.S. workers. They will be covered by state and federal employment laws to the same extent that other U.S. workers are covered.
This breakthrough will help move forward comprehensive immigration reform that creates a road map to citizenship for 11 million aspiring Americans.
UFCW locals spent last week meeting with their Members of Congress lobbying for comprehensive immigration reform. They are preparing for an all-out campaign once legislation is introduced to ensure its passage.
March 26, 2013
Iowa UFCW Locals Endorse Braley for Senate
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Locals 222, 230, 431, 440 and 1149 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) today announced their endorsement of Congressman Bruce Braley for the U.S. Senate.
“We are proud to endorse Bruce Braley for Senate,” the locals said. “He is a ferocious champion of working families and the middle class. His experience growing up in Brooklyn as the son of a grain elevator operator and a teacher helped shape his passion for economic justice.”
In the House of Representatives, Braley has proven himself as a tough and smart leader. He has fought to ensure equal pay for equal work, strengthen the right to organize, and reform America’s broken immigration system.
“Bruce has been a rising star from day one—and the people of Iowa have benefitted,” the locals said. “He never forgets where he came from or who he represents.”
Braley is running to replace Senator Tom Harkin who is retiring after five outstanding terms of service. As Chairman of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, Harkin has put the needs of workers front and center. “Tom Harkin never stopped fighting for us,” the locals said. “We can think of no one better to follow in his footsteps than Bruce Braley.”
“We look forward to doing everything we can to help make Bruce our next U.S. Senator,” the locals said.
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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.
March 26, 2013
Stakeholders Address Economic Struggles of Part-Time Workers in Hearing with Rep. Jan Schakowsky
The National Retail Justice Alliance, in partnership with Citizen Action/Illinois, Women Employed, UFCW and Jobs With Justice, hosted a hearing today in Chicago with Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) to highlight the economic plight of part-time workers in retail and other service industries. The hearing also underscored the need for Rep. Schakowsky’s legislation—the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act of 2013 (H.R. 675)—which would extend protections to part-time workers in the areas of employer-provided health insurance, family and medical leave, and pension plans.
Sponsored by Schakowsky and Representative George Miller (D-Calif.), the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights builds upon the progress of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ensures that part-time workers (defined as working less than 30 hours a week) and their families have access to critical workplace benefits. The ACA penalizes employers who fail to provide health insurance to full-time workers, but includes no such penalties for employers who deny health coverage to part-time workers.
“As our nation’s economy relies more and more on part-time, low-wage work, policies are needed to address the widening gap of those working without a safety net for retirement, healthcare, and family leave,” said Bill Fletcher, chair of the National Retail Justice Alliance and director of field service and education at the American Federation of Government Employees. “The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights would ensure that employers provide for critical benefits for part-timers and protect the health and well-being of millions of part-time workers in retail and other service industries.”
In addition to Schakowsky and Fletcher, state legislators, economic experts and part-time workers also spoke at the hearing which took place at the Spertus Institute.
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The National Retail Justice Alliance is dedicated to raising the living and working standards of retail workers in the United States. By working in collaboration with a broad base of opinion leaders, organizations and communities, the National Retail Justice Alliance builds support for workers in the retail industry through advocacy, education and research to promote sustainable jobs, living wages, affordable health care and fair public policies. For more information, visit www.retailjusticealliance.org.
March 25, 2013
Have a Union-Made Passover
source: timeanddate.com
Tomorrow is the first day of Passover- what better way to celebrate your Passover seders than with union-made foods and ingredients? Check out the list of products below, all made by UFCW members, as well as our brothers and sisters at UFW, IAM, and IBT, brought to you by Labor 411 and the AFL-CIO:
Matzo Products, Crackers and Farfel
Manischewitz (UFCW)
Meats
Empire Kosher (UFCW)
Wine and Grape Juice
Arbor Mist (UFCW)
C.K. Mondavi (UFW, UFCW)
Chateau Ste. Michelle (UFW, IBT)
Gallo of Sonoma (UFW)
Turning Leaf (UFCW)
Minute Maid Grape Juice (UFCW)
Welch’s Grape Juice (UFCW)
Bonus:
Here’s an Empire Kosher’s recipe for glazed and spiced matzo stuffed chicken breasts. For this recipe, there are plenty of union-made ingredients to incorporate:
6 tablespoons Empire Kosher Rendered Chicken Fat, divided
4 cups Passover Matzo Farfel (Manischewitz)
Salt and pepper (Morton Salt [UFCW, IAM] and Durkee Pepper [UFCW])
6 Empire Kosher Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (Durkee [UFCW])
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Durkee [UFCW])
¾ cup white wine (see union-made options here).
Be sure to check out Labor 411 for all things union-made!
March 18, 2013
UFCW President Hansen Statement On the Nomination of Tom Perez As Labor Secretary
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Hansen, International President of the UFCW, today released the following statement in response to the nomination of Tom Perez as the next Secretary of Labor.
“The UFCW strongly supports the nomination of Tom Perez as Labor Secretary. Tom led the Maryland Department of Labor with excellence and is strongly qualified for this post. Now more than ever, workers need a champion at the Department that will fight for fair wages, safe workplaces, and the right to organize. I am confident Tom Perez will provide that leadership.”
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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.
March 18, 2013
UFCW President Hansen Statement on the Nomination of Tom Perez as Labor Secretary
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 nomination of Tom Perez as the next Secretary of Labor.
“The UFCW strongly supports the nomination of Tom Perez as Labor Secretary. Tom led the Maryland Department of Labor with excellence and is strongly qualified for this post. Now more than ever, workers need a champion at the Department that will fight for fair wages, safe workplaces, and the right to organize. I am confident Tom Perez will provide that leadership.”
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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.