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News and Updates
Packing and Processing
July 1, 2013
Union-Made Fourth of July
What’s more patriotic than celebrating Independence day with made-in-America, union-made products? Supporting good American jobs is easy–just refer to this union-made shopping list for your BBQ or get-together, brought to you by Labor 411 and the AFL-CIO! 
Omaha Steaks products are UFCW-made
All of the following hot dogs are UFCW-made:
- Ball Park
- Boar’s Head
- Foster Farms
- Hebrew National
- Hofmann
- Oscar Mayer
- Hormel
Sausages:
- Farmland
- Koegel’s
- Gianelli (UFCW)
- Kroger brand (UFCW)
Condiments:
- French’s and Guldens Mustard (UFCW)
- Heinz Ketchup and Catsup (UFCW)
- Lucky Whip
- Hidden Valley Ranch
Buns:
- Sara Lee (UFCW)
- Oroweat
- Arnold
- Stroehmann
Soda & Bottled Water:
- Barq’s Rootbeer, Coke , and Sprite products (UFCW)
- Pepsi
- American Springs and Poland Springs Water (UFCW)
- Pocono Northern Fall’s Water
Beer:
- Bud Light (UFCW)
- Budweiser
- Michelob
- Miller
- Milwaukee’s Best
- Rolling Rock
- Goose Island
Snacks & Desserts:
- Breyers & Good Humor Ice Cream (UFCW)
- Flips pretzels
- Frito-Lay Chips
Supplies:
- Solo cups
- Weber Q grills
- Igloo coolers
This is just a small glimpse of the union-made products that you can use at your July 4th celebration–for more ideas, visit Labor 411 and our UFCW-made Pinterest board!
June 27, 2013
UFCW Praises Senate Passage of Comprehensive Immigration Reform That Includes Roadmap to Citizenship
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Joe Hansen, International President of the UFCW , today released the following statement after the Senate passed comprehensive immigration reform legislation.
“I commend the Senate for taking a major bipartisan step toward making comprehensive immigration reform the law of the land. This bill includes many of the UFCW’s principles including a roadmap to citizenship for those already here, strong labor protections for immigrant workers, and a modernized system for allocating employment-based visas based on hard data, not politics.
“For decades, the UFCW has been a staunch advocate for fixing a flawed immigration system that punishes working men and women, tears families apart, and fails workers, families, communities and businesses alike. We have been proud to be part of a national movement that has led the way in changing the narrative–so that at this point in time a majority of Americans support comprehensive immigration reform.
“Let me be clear. This is a compromise bill. The ‘border surge’ provision added earlier this week is bad public policy at a high price and the UFCW will do everything in its power to mitigate its impact while making clear no further concessions are acceptable. But we cannot allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. Senate passage of comprehensive immigration reform with a road map to citizenship sends a clear message that America will no longer penalize aspiring citizens just for trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. It is now time for the House to finish the job.”
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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.
May 30, 2013
Show Your UFCW Pride by Entering the New UFCW Facebook Contest!
Are you proud of what you do as a UFCW member on the job? Do you and your coworkers create a product that makes you proud to say “UFCW-made”?
Why not show it off! Enter our new contest by uploading a photo of you or you and your coworkers, or a UFCW product (you can see some of the great things UFCW members make here), and you are not only helping us showcase the great work UFCW members do, but are also entering for a chance to win cool UFCW gear and even grocery store gift cards–worth up to $500!
Its easy to upload and enter: you can either go to http://ufcwmade.com/ or you can get the Facebook app and share with friends!
Vote for your favorite photos on the site, and show your support for UFCW members!
May 29, 2013
UFCW Statement on Smithfield Foods Purchase by Shuanghui International of China
Washington, D.C. – The following statement is issued by Joseph T. Hansen, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union President, in response to Smithfield Foods purchase by Shuanghui International of China:
“As the representative of more than 16,000 Smithfield Foods workers in 14 states, the UFCW is pleased that current Smithfield management will stay in place and that all collective bargaining agreements will continue to provide strong wage and benefits for Smithfield workers following the sale.
The UFCW has a strong labor-management relationship with Smithfield. Our union has productive relationships with other foreign-owned companies in the food industry including Marfig, Nestle, JBS, Unilever and others. We intend to work with Smithfield’s new owners to build on that same spirit of open dialogue and cooperation.
We will watch the required regulatory process that oversees this proposed sale very carefully to make sure the interests of worker in the pork industry are protected and supported.
The Chinese market for fresh pork is a rapidly exploding market and this purchase reflects that country’s economic need for high quality, U.S.-made pork. The UFCW is pleased that workers in our communities can benefit from the growth and expansion of the U.S. pork industry.”
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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.
May 24, 2013
Have a Union-Made Memorial Day Weekend!
It’s Memorial Day Weekend! Which means that you have another opportunity to buy union-made products to celebrate at your BBQ, weekend getaway, or maybe even the first day at your neighborhood pool!
Thanks to the AFL-CIO and Labor 411, you can refer to this grocery shopping list that makes buying union-made products a breeze. 
Labor 411 is also hosting “Support UFCW Week” this week–you can find the UFCW-made items from the list below–what better way to support your brothers and sisters than to buy the products that they make?
All listed Hot Dogs
Condiments
- French’s Mustard
- Guldens Mustard
- Heinz Catsup and Ketchup
- Vlasic
Sodas & Bottled Water
- Barq’s Rootbeer
- Coke & Diet Coke
- Sprite & Diet Sprite
- Pepsi
- American Springs
- Poland Springs
Sausages
- Gianelli
- Hofmann
- Kroger
Sara Lee Buns
Breyers & Good Humor Ice Cream
Bud Light
May 8, 2013
UFCW, Food Manufacturers Form Alliance on Senate Immigration Bill
WASHINGTON, DC –The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union and the Food Manufacturers Immigration Coalition (FMIC) yesterday announced their partnership on comprehensive immigration reform in a letter sent to the Senate “Gang of Eight,” praising them for their efforts on S. 744. The labor-business coalition is also seeking improvements to the Senate bill in the areas of visa allocation and employment verification.
“We write in support of the comprehensive immigration reform process and thank you for your critical and constructive efforts in support of this legislation,” says the letter signed by UFCW International President Joe Hansen and Barry Carpenter of FMIC.
The labor-business coalition said they support the Senate bill’s provisions to establish a roadmap to citizenship, protect family based immigration, promote smart, effective border enforcement, implement a workable, transparent employment verification system, and create an occupational visa for non-seasonal, permanent positions. However, Hansen and Carpenter are also calling for commonsense improvements to S. 744 in the areas of visa allocation and employment verification.
The labor-business coalition asked for more flexibility when it comes to employment verification. “Allowing employers to use Self-Check in a uniform, nondiscriminatory fashion will create greater transparency for new employees, and will enable employers to ensure that their new hires are not circumventing E-Verify,” the letter reads.
Moreover, the letter outlined: “If an employer takes the extra step of deterring identity theft through the uniform use of Self-Check, then the employer should be presumed to have acted in ‘good faith’ with respect to the E-Verify confirmations it receives.”
Finally, the labor-business coalition requested that Senators direct the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Justice to create regulations that would provide specific rules of the road “describing a course of conduct…that satisfies employment verification requirements and concurrently avoids anti-discrimination liability.” “If an employer follows these regulations, then the employer is presumed to have complied with both the verification and anti-discrimination rules,” the letter reads.
The labor-business coalition said they look forward to working with the Senate to improve S.744 and seeing comprehensive immigration reform become the law of the land.
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March 7, 2013
UFCW Joins Chicago Rally For Immigration Reform
CHICAGO, ILL.— Joe Hansen, International President of the UFCW, today delivered the following statement when joining the AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka, the Chicago Federation of Labor, students, Latino leaders and workers at a major Chicago rally for urgent federal action for comprehensive immigration reform.
President Hansen’s statement follows:
“Now is the time to pass comprehensive immigration reform – not next year or the year after but right now. We can no longer accept an immigration system that breaks up families, harasses workers, and deports people who are simply trying to achieve the American Dream. We can no longer be a nation that turns away aspiring citizens.
“For centuries, immigrants have come to America’s shores with the dream of making a better life for themselves and their families — from Ellis Island to the Florida Keys to the Rio Grande. But for today’s immigrants, this dream has become a nightmare. Young adults who were brought here as children and have grown up in America—the Dreamers—still do not have a clear path to citizenship. Workers face discrimination, abuse, retaliation, and sometimes worse. Families are unable to reunite.
“Our immigration system is obviously broken. But worse than that, it flies in the face of our values as a nation. So we must reform it. No one is better to lead that reform than the labor movement. It is the workers we represent who are most victimized by our current immigration system.
“For the UFCW, this issue hits close to home. We remember the ICE raids in 2006 where our members were treated like criminals. We remember hearing the stories of workers terrorized just for doing their jobs.
“Other unions have suffered similar experiences, as Wild West immigration enforcement has become the rule instead of the exception. So as a movement, we are as united as ever to make comprehensive immigration reform the law of the land.
“The UFCW is joining our allies in the labor movement and in our communities to mobilize our members in support immigration reform that includes:
- A road map to citizenship for those already here
- An effective mechanism for determining employment eligibility
- Smart and humane border enforcement
- Streamlined family reunification
- A fair process for allocating employment based visas
“But most of all, we want an immigration system that gives immigrants hope, not fear. We want to be a nation that builds dreams, not border fences. We want the families of immigrants to be united, not divided. We want immigrant workers to have rights, not wrongs.
“America has always prided itself on being a country where anyone who is willing to work hard and pursue their dreams can find success. We must live up to that ideal. We must pass comprehensive immigration reform.”
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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 www.twitter.com/UFCW
January 8, 2013
Pinnacle Foods Workers in Fort Madison Authorize Strike to Protest Company’s Plan to Eliminate Pensions
FORT MADISON, IOWA – Over 400 Pinnacle Foods Workers in Fort Madison who are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) voted on Sunday, January 6 to authorize a strike to protest the company’s plan to eliminate their pension plan. The Pinnacle Foods plant in Fort Madison manufactures canned food products, including Vienna sausages, Armour brand corned beef hash, beef stew and chili.
“In a volatile financial environment, Pinnacle Foods workers in Fort Madison are simply trying to protect middle class jobs and their retirement benefits after working hard to make their company profitable,” said UFCW Local 617 President Darin Boatman. “I hope this strike vote sends a strong message to the company and moves the negotiation process to a successful conclusion.”
Defined benefit pension plans are the most secure retirement system for workers. While many workers are forced to rely on less secure investments, like 401 (k) plans, or have no retirement at all, many UFCW members have retirement security through their pension benefits that provide for a monthly payment for their lifetime after they retire.
Pinnacle Foods, Inc. is backed by the Blackstone Group L.P., a private equity firm, and posted net sales of $2.5 billion in the 2011 fiscal year.
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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
October 22, 2012
Give your Trick-or-Treaters Union-Made Goodies This Year
This Halloween, make sure you are ready with a bowl full of union-made treats to give to the little goblins and ghosts who come to your door! See the handy list of union-made candy and goodies below, provided by Union Plus. These treats come from companies that have good jobs and that treat their employees well. The products are made by UFCW members, members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), and the United Farm Workers of America (UFW). All union made!
| Hershey Products | Necco (New England Confectionery Company) |
| Hershey Kisses* | Sweethearts |
| Hershey Syrups | Mary Jane Peanut Butter Chews |
| Hershey Milk Chocolate Bar* | NECCO Wafers/Necco Wafer Smoothies |
| Hershey Milk with Almond Bars | Sky Bar |
| Hershey Special Dark Bars | Clark Bar |
| Hershey Nuggets | Canada Mints |
| Rolo | Candy Cupboard |
| Hershey Kissables | Thin Mints |
| Kit Kat Bars | NECCO Assorted Junior Wafers |
| Carmello Bar | Clark Junior Laydown Bag |
| Cadbury Fruit & Nut Bar | Mary Jane Laydown Bag |
| Cadbury Roast Almond Bar | Haviland |
| Cadbury Royal Dark Bar | Mallow Cups |
| Cadbury Dairy Milk Bar | Necco Peanut Butter Kisses |
| Jolly Ranchers | |
| Hershey Symphony Bar with Toffee | Ghiradelli Chocolates |
| All filled & non filled squares | |
| Just Born | non pariels |
| Peeps | Chocolate chips |
| Mike & Ike | |
| Hot Tamales | Gimbals Fine Candies |
| Peanut Chews | JellyBeans |
| Jelly Beans | Cherry Hearts |
| Scotty Dogs | |
| Jelly Belly’s Candy Company |
|
| Jelly Bellies – also made in a non-union plants in Chicago/Taiwan | Nestle |
| Chocolate Dutch Mints | Nestle Treasures |
| Chocolate Temptations | Laffy Taffy |
| dimples | Kathryn Beich specialty candy |
| Goelitz Confections | Baby Ruth* |
| Goelitz Gummi | Butterfinger* |
| Pet Rat | Pearson’s Nips |
| Pet Tarantula | Famous Old Time Candies (gourmet chocolates) |
| Sweet Temptations | Nestle Crunch Butterfinger Crisp |
| Candy Corn | |
| Licorice | Pearson’s Candy Co. |
| Malted Milk Balls | Salted Nut Roll |
| Chocolate Coated Nuts, and Sours | Nut Goodie |
| Sunkist Fruit Gel Slices | Mint Patties |
| Bun Bars | |
| American Licorice | |
| Black & Red Vines | Anabelles Candy Company |
| Strawberry Ropes | Boston Baked Beans |
| Jordon Almonds | |
| Sconza Candies | Rocky Road |
| Jawbreakers | U-Nos |
| Chocolate Covered Cherries | Look |
| Chocolate | Big Hunk |
| Abba-Zaba | |
| Kraft | Yogurt Nuts & Fruit |
| snack products | |
| Keebler | |
| Frito-Lay | Chips Deluxe |
| Doritos | Pecan Sandies |
| Rold Gold | Cheez-it |
| Lays Potato Chips | Vanilla Wafers |
| Nabisco | Bachman |
| Corn Nuts | Pretzels |
| Chips Ahoy! | Jax Cheese Curls |
| Oreos | Keystone Snacks Party Mix |
| Nutter Butter | Cheese Curls |
| Vanilla Wafers | Corn Chips |
| Graham Crackers | |
| Orville Redenbacher | |
| popcorn |
October 16, 2012
Carharrt Releases “Made in America Line” and Continues its Dedication to the American Worker
The rugged apparel brand Carharrt has newly released a “Made in America Line”. This exciting news is part of a national movement to bring manufacturing, especially textiles, back to the USA. Currently, less than 2% of the clothing available for purchase in our country is actually made here.
A video released by Carharrt talks about the new line of products made in America, in which all all items are designed in Michigan and produced in their Tennessee and Kentucky plants, but also highlights the fact that, in the 123 years since Carharrt began, they have never stopped manufacturing here. Employees in the video note that one of the company’s mottos is “for the American worker” which it exemplifies by providing good jobs, including over 900 jobs to UFCW members. The overall idea expressed in the short film is that America was not made by men in suits behind a desk, but workers getting down and dirty to build our country.
Watch the video below or by clicking here.