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News and Updates
October 4, 2012
Political Roundup: Great news in PA, the starts of debate season, and voting begins in OH
Good News for Voters in Pennsylvania
This week’s decision by a Pennsylvania judge to halt the state’s new voter identification law, ordering that it not be enforced for the presidential election, is a step in the right direction. Voter ID laws target those who are least likely to have photo IDs or to be able to afford any, and make it harder for people—including minorities, seniors and low-income voters—to exercise their right to vote.
With the election just five weeks away, the ruling by Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson means that voters in Pennsylvania will not be required to show photo ID at the polls on Election Day—making it easier for all eligible Pennsylvanians to participate in this important election.
Pennsylvania is a swing state with 20 electoral votes up for grabs. According to recent surveys compiled by RealClearPolitics, President Obama is leading in statewide opinion polls by an average of 8 points.
Mitt Romney: A Man of the People?
After dismissing half of the American people as “victims” at a private fundraiser in May, it’s amazing that Romney would try to hoodwink middle class and low- income voters into thinking that he cares about them. In last night’s debate, Romney tried to portray himself as a man of the people and said that he would not raise taxes on middle-class families or reduce the share of taxes paid by the wealthiest Americans.
Don’t be fooled. Romney and his and his running mate, Representative Paul Ryan, have made it clear that they are planning to pay for more tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of America’s workers and the poor. They want to make significant cuts to programs that serve the poor and middle class—including cuts to K-12 education, job training and grants which help kids go to college, replacing Medicare with a voucher system that would increase health care costs for seniors, and gutting Medicaid for the working poor.
The only groups benefiting from the Romney/Ryan plan would be the wealthiest Americans—whose tax cuts would be permanent if Romney and Ryan have their way—and corporations, which would receive tax breaks even as they continue to ship good middle class jobs overseas.
With the election only five weeks away, America’s workers face a stark choice between an opportunist who favors the wealthy one percent at the expense of the young, the elderly, the sick and the poor, and a leader who has given a voice to those who are too often overlooked and is fighting to create jobs and prosperity for all Americans.
Voting in Ohio is underway!
Early voting has begun in the swingiest of swing states – good old Ohio. After a bumpy ramp up to early voting, involving some bizarre actions on the part of Ohio Secretary of State John Husted, things appear to be running smoothly. So far, early voting numbers are high compared with four years ago. Seems like the people of Ohio are ready to get their vote on! If you’re looking for more information on early voting in Ohio, click here. And if you’re not in Ohio, don’t despair! Early voting will continue to spread around the country over the coming weeks. More specifically: California Oct. 7; Indiana Oct. 9; Arizona Oct. 11; Georgia Oct. 15; Kansas Oct. 17; Tennessee Oct. 17; North Carolina Oct. 18; Nevada Oct. 20; New Mexico Oct. 20; Alaska Oct. 22; North Dakota Oct. 22; Arkansas Oct. 22; Colorado Oct. 22; D.C. Oct. 22; Illinois Oct. 22; Texas Oct. 22; Wisconsin Oct.22; Hawaii Oct. 23; Louisiana Oct. 23; Utah Oct. 23; West Virginia Oct. 24; Florida Oct. 27; Maryland Oct. 27; Oklahoma Nov. 2
October 2, 2012
Statement by UFCW International President Joseph Hansen in Support of President Obama’s Plans to Establish a Monument in Honor of Cesar Chavez
Washington, D.C. –The following is a statement issued by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union President Joseph Hansen:
The UFCW applauds President Obama’s plans to establish the California home and workplace of the late Cesar Chavez as a national monument. As the head of the United Farm Workers Union, Cesar Chavez was one of the greatest labor leaders in the United States who dedicated his life to fighting for predominantly Latino farmworkers, and his massive grape boycott in the 1960s will always be remembered as one of the most successful strikes in labor history. His life has served as an inspiration to generations of Latinos who have continued to fight for better opportunities and dignity and respect on the job, and it is fitting that this monument in being dedicated during the 50th anniversary of the United Farm Workers Union.
The UFCW represents workers from all parts of the world working side by side together in our nation’s meatpacking, food processing, and poultry plants, as well as supermarkets and retail stores, and many of our workers are immigrants. We are proud of the diversity of our 1.3 million members, and will continue to honor the legacy of Cesar Chavez as we fight for social justice in the workplace.
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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, immigration 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.
September 25, 2012
September 25 is National Voter Registration Day!
Today is National Voter Registration Day!
Are you registered yet? If not, what are you waiting for?
Click here to get registered today!
On the National Voter Registration day site, can you also find a registration event- just type in your zip code, and select the distance you are willing to travel. A list of locations becomes instantly available for you, complete with all the details you need, including the time of the event and contact information.
For residents of many states, you can register right from your computer! Just click the “Register to Vote” tab, and fill in your information as the site takes you step by step through this super easy process.
If you’re already registered, there’s more you can do! Go to http://nationalvoterregistrationday.org/ and click on the “Promote” tab. There, you will find a variety of neat ways to tell other people to register. You can either change your profile picture and status on Facebook with a National Voter Registration Day logo, send an e-mail, Tweet about it (you can even tweet to your favorite celebrities straight from the site), or share any of the graphics provided on the site through any media you choose.
Think you have all the time in the world to register? Think again- in the 2008 election, 6 million Americans didn’t vote because they either missed the registration deadline, or didn’t know how. That’s why National Voter Registration Day is employing thousands of organizations, volunteers, and social media outlets to get the word out about registration. Because no matter who you are voting for, it’s so important that you do. Exercise your right as an American to have a voice in your government.
Click here to get registered today!
September 21, 2012
What are UFCW Members Doing to Help Working Families this Election?
We asked our members ‘What are you doing or going to do to make sure working families win this November?”
Here are some of the highlights of what they said!
“Having my church have voter registration available for all the young people and seniors”
“I sent $ to the DNC and i am proudly displaying my Obama/Biden bumper sticker”
“Not voting for Romney”
“Go to vote”
“Phone banking and canvasing- also taking anyone to vote early that will let me”
“Canvassing”
“Voting for Obama!”
“Passing better legislation”
“Helping a local state senate candidate”
“helping whenever needed”
“i’m reminding everyone i speak to is we need to move forward not backwards”
“I’m gonna drag everything that ain’t glued down 2 the polls…lol”
“Lookin’ 4 help to start a union at my Walmart”“Stand up for my rights”
“Tryn’ to make sure everyone that i know votes in November!”
“I work on the polls for our rights that the G.O.P. is trying to take away from us”
“Making sure the working class understand that president Obama is the best candidate for our future and we need to keep moving forward!!!!”
“Run for state rep”
If you want to join the UFCW rapid response team and be part of the next poll, sign up to receive text messages by texting JOIN to MYUFCW (698329). Your feedback could be the next to be featured on the UFCW blog.
September 20, 2012
Mr. Picketman is at it Again!
Exciting news! As promised, Phil Meza, a.k.a. Mr. Picketman, has just released his new song for Obama 2012!
Some may not be familiar with Mr. Picketman, but as a member of Local 1428, his contributions to the fight for working families are an inspiration, not only because of the time and effort he puts forth to the cause, but his musical talents as well. Meza has created several hip-hop songs dedicated to various causes in the labor movement, including the 2008 Obama campaign, and this year’s Wisconsin recall effort of Governor Scott Walker. Additionally, he has worked with OUR Walmart to create songs that highlight Walmart’s anti-worker agenda.
And now, Meza adds to his list of labor-inspired works with “Obama 2012”. Just as catchy as his previous beats, the song is a strong call to all of our brothers and sister to vote in this election for President Obama.
“The choice is evident, it’s time to re-elect the president,” Meza raps on the song. His message may be simple, but it could not be more important: President Obama is the candidate we need in the white house next year, because he will “stand with the working class”.
Check out the Mr. Picketman’s song here!
September 19, 2012
An American Worker: Eno Awotoye
“The American Worker – A Look at the American Worker in 2012” is Current.com’s recent series of spotlights on today’s hardworking Americans, ranging from auto workers and school workers to baristas, administrators, and caregivers. Each installment in the series focuses on one such worker, giving a quick look at biographical info, including salary, and detailing each person’s relationship with their job. We thought this was a great resource, and honest glimpse into the highs and lows of real jobs today.
One of the bios that intrigued us the most was that of Eno Awotoye, a Vendor Selling Specialist at Macy’s Herald Square. As a unionized retail worker, Eno makes a good salary at 21.50 an hour, plus bonuses. Originally from Nigeria, she now lives in the Bronx, and enjoys great employee benefits including vacation, paid sick days/paid time off, medical & vision & dental insurance, and 401k with employer matching. Below, Eno answers questions from Current.com: 
– What worries you the most about your job? What worries you most about your life outside of work?
“At work, I want to make sure that our union stays strong and that no anti-worker legislation is passed. Outside of work, I want to focus on my personal growth, and how to find time to continue to do art.”
– Are you in a union? Does your industry have unions? Do you think your industry should unionize?
“Yes, I’m a member of RWDSU’s Local 1-S (Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union) at Macy’s on 34th Street in Manhattan. Unfortunately, only about 4 percent of the retail industry is unionized, and I think it should be much higher.”
– What is your proudest career accomplishment?
“My proudest career accomplishment has been being able to take what I’ve learned from almost 20 years of working at Macy’s to help other retail workers. I teach free customer service training classes, as well as professional sales classes such as building client books, visual merchandising, fine jewelry, etc., to retail workers seeking better jobs in this economy. Through this, I’m able to help folks who work in an industry with a lot of job growth get better jobs, while teaching them about their rights on the job.”
-If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be? (More flexible hours, better benefits, higher salary, better job security, pension plan, etc)
“I get all of the benefits listed above at my job because of our union contract, but most non-union retail workers don’t get these benefits. What I wish is that I can help workers get these basic protections and benefits at their jobs.”
Because she and her co-workers are about sticking together in their union and improving their workplace, Eno has many benefits that non-union retail employees may not. We think it is awesome that she works hard to help other retail workers who aren’t yet as fortunate, to teach them skills and inspire them to come together for their rights on the job. Although only a small percentage of retail workers currently enjoy good jobs like Eno’s at Macy’s, if we all stick together we can work for a brighter future for workers.
September 18, 2012
Leaked Video Reveals What Romney Really Thinks of America’s Working Families
In a video obtained by Mother Jones, Republican candidate Mitt Romney revealed exactly what he thinks of those who he deems as Obama supporters—including hard working men and women and seniors—at a private fundraiser on May 17 in Boca Raton, Fla.
Photo credit: Elections Meter
There are 47 percent who are with him,” Romney said of Obama supporters in the video, “who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. These are people who pay no income tax.”
As a candidate for president, it’s amazing that Romney would write off half the American people as “victims” and declare at the same fundraiser that his job “is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
In the weeks leading up to the election, Romney and his running mate, Representative Paul Ryan, will continue to pay lip service to America’s workers and the middle class. This video underscores what they really think of America’s workers—the cornerstone of the middle class—who pay payroll taxes for Social Security and Medicare and our seniors who depend on these programs for their health and well-being. Check it out:
September 17, 2012
Things Could be Looking up for Labor after Judge Strikes Down Wisconsin’s Act 10
Big news for labor came out of Wisconsin on Friday, when a judge struck down Scott Walker’s controversial anti-collective bargaining law. Although the governor has said he is sure his state will successfully appeal the judge’s decision about Act 10, we certainly are not. If anything, this news could be just the fuel people need to keep up the fight for labor rights, and do what’s right, especially when this decision comes so near to the November Presidential election.
In a Washington Post article about the ruling, a few possible outcomes of this news are detailed, most of which bode well for the state’s- and the nation’s- labor movement:
Firstly, the decision, although perhaps only temporary, is a big motivator for all those involved in this year’s earlier anti-walker protests. After investing countless resources into the movement to stop his anti-worker legislation from passing, and recall the governor, it was disheartening to lose the battle. Working families see that our efforts were not in vain.
Another point made in the article suggests that now, political polarization and opinion on the issue is not going to fade away, and will only be rejuvenated. Because of the Friday decision, Democrats and Republicans are less likely to compromise on their beliefs regarding right-to-work legislation, essentially giving the labor movement a second wind. Collective bargaining is now back in the spotlight, front and center. The debate is not over.
This is good news folks. Even if the judge’s ruling doesn’t stand up, we know that the fight will not be over.
September 11, 2012
A Star Steward
Penny Gibson is a meat-cutter at Kroger, a union member, a political activist, and definitely a star steward for UFCW Local 876.
One of the great things Penny is doing to help her coworkers and her community is helping people to register for this year’s election. With the help of her local union’s Voter Registration Toolkit, Penny working hard to make sure all her coworkers, friends, and neighbors, have a voice in November.
Penny has also dedicated her time and energy to the Protect Our Jobs effort, a drive to put a measure on the November ballot allowing voters to decide on a proposal to add the right to collective bargaining to the Michigan constitution. She secured over 50 signatures, the most of any Local 876 steward. With collective bargaining under attack in so many states across the country, Michigan has a chance to lead the charge for the basic freedoms of speech and association that collective bargaining represents.
Penny says she’s dedicated herself to protecting collective bargaining in part because “many young workers do not realize it is their union contract that provided that raise, that $3 prescription refill, and that week-long paid vacation up north. It is not the company that provided these benefits, it was the union who negotiated these on our behalf.”
With Penny on the case, those young workers will be activists in no time! UFCW member activists and stewards keep their union running. To learn more about how to get involved with your local union, email submissions@ufcw.org or send us a message on Facebook.
September 10, 2012
Tyson Workers Receive Long-Awaited Payment from Wage and Hour Lawsuit Settlement
$32 million Settlement Ends 12-year Legal Battle to Get Paid for Hours Worked
(Washington, D.C.) – After a 12 year legal struggle, more than 12,000 Tyson poultry workers in 41 plants in 12 states will receive their payments from the largest settlement against a major poultry company at $32 million. Thanks to the tenacity and dedication of thousands of workers from across the country and the support of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, workers involved in the suit will receive payments averaging $1,200 in lost wages.
The success of the Tyson’s settlement for poultry workers is just one in a series of actions where workers continue to fight and take a stand for workers’ rights in poultry and meatpacking plants around the country. Similar cases have been brought and resolved against Perdue and Pilgrim’s Pride plants as well. The UFCW continues to work to make sure that every meatpacking and poultry worker is paid honestly and fairly for the work they do. A suit that was filed in 1999 was the first action of its kind to force poultry companies to obey the nation’s basic wage and hour laws.
“This lawsuit and the new pay practices in the meatpacking and poultry industry are just one way union workers raise standards for every worker in their industry,” said Joe Hansen, UFCW International President. “While this settlement is long overdue, our efforts have ensured that thousands of workers have been paid correctly for years now.”
The affected Tyson poultry employees work at plants in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas.
These payments will inject much-needed money into America’s rural economy and reward a hard-working and dedicated group of poultry workers.
The lawsuit charged Tyson with violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act and cheating their poultry plant employees out of wages by failing to pay workers for the time they spend putting on and taking off protective gear they wear to keep the food they process safe and for their own protection. The poultry company also violated the basic wage and hour laws by failing to provide workers with their required break time.
“Every American deserves to get paid for the work they do,” Hansen continued. “We’re changing the way meat and poultry industries do business by ensuring that workers are paid for all of their time on the job.”
Workers, the UFCW, and activists started to take collective action for workers’ rights to fair wages and treatment at the workplace in 1999. Between 1999 and 2001, they took their action on the road and spread the word of their mission through a bus tour and leafleting other Tyson workers. In that brief time, almost 4,000 workers signed up to join. The federal lawsuit developed following a U.S. Department of Labor survey that found over 60 percent of the nation’s poultry companies were in violation of basic wage and hour laws.
The collective case representing the workers from several plants from across the country went through several judges until a judge in November 2006 declared that the case under the different plants could not be presented as a singular case and dismissed it. The workers and their supporters continued their legal action despite the large setback and filed their cases on a plant-by-plant basis. More than 17,000 workers start signing up to join the suit under the new case conditions.
In September 2011, the workers sent a settlement agreement to the court, which the court later approved. After almost 12 years, workers receive notice in January 2012 that they will finally be receiving their settlement payments.
In order to qualify for the settlement, current workers must have signed up to be part of the lawsuit back in 2008 and former employees were required to send back the W-4 form included with the payment notice, so that tax withholdings could be properly calculated.
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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.