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News and Updates
Industry News
May 13, 2015
OK Foods Fires Maintenance Workers Illegally
UFCW Alleges Company Fired Workers for Union Activity in Unfair Labor Practice Charges
Heavener, OK: United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1000 is formally filing Unfair Labor Practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that two UFCW organizing committee members were illegally fired last week by OK Foods in Heavener, OK.
Local 1000 President Ricky Burris said, “Joshua Deases and Jason Muller were fired illegally last week. These two have been leaders in the organizing campaign at OK Foods to help maintenance workers get a voice at work. Both of them testified on behalf of the union in front of an NLRB Hearing Officer last year and served as official observers in the May 1st, 2014 election. The NLRB set the May 1st election aside because of repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act and now OK Foods is again violating the Act by firing these workers. I strongly condemn these terminations.”
Maintenance worker Jason Muller said, “I’m not discouraged. The more they harass pro-union workers, the harder we will fight. OK Foods won’t intimidate us. OK Foods is persecuting Josh Deases and myself because of our union activities. This company, and specifically the CEO Trent Goins, should be ashamed.”
UFCW Local 1000 represents 11,000 workers across Oklahoma and North Texas including people who work at grocery stores and food production facilities. UFCW Local 1000 is an affiliate of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 250,000 poultry production workers across the United States and Canada.
May 12, 2015
New Charge Against Hanover-Lebanon Cooperative Society Alleges Unlawful Anti-Worker Conduct
Co-op Charged with Intimidating and Interfering with its Workers’ Rights
Last week, the UFCW filed a federal charge with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that management at the Hanover-Lebanon Cooperative Society in New Hampshire unlawfully stifled workers’ rights to organize – including preventing them from talking about unions inside the store and intimidating workers who were discussing organizing a union. The Hanover-Lebanon Cooperative Society employs over 400 workers out of five retail locations and a commissary kitchen and does business locally as The Co-op Food Stores.
“Unions and co-ops are like peas and pods – they stem from the same core, they share the same values,” said co-op Member Len Ziefert. “It is antithetical for co-ops to oppose unionization, unions are employees working cooperatively.”
The member-owned co-op has been in the spotlight over the last year following the termination of two well-regarded employees. The fired workers sued co-op management, claiming they were fired as retaliation for speaking out about workplace conditions and for talking with union representatives. After the fallout from this lawsuit, members elected three new directors to the board who are focused on making the co-op more worker-friendly. While the wrongful termination case is currently still being litigated, this unrelated NLRB charge raises the question if anything has changed at The Co-op Food Stores or if co-op management continues to engage in anti-worker practices.
“By standing together in union, workers preserve their voice and true co-op principles,” said Reid Kotlas, a regular shopper. “The Co-op Food Stores should live up to the values of its member-owners and of the co-op movement and respect its workers’ rights to organize a union.”
May 7, 2015
Celebrating UFCW Moms: Have a Union-Made Mother’s Day!
Make an e-card like this one at mamasday.org
We’ve been celebrating UFCW members who are moms all this week by sharing their stories and highlighting the great work they do. Another way to celebrating UFCW moms? Make sure her gift is union-made! With the help of Union Plus and Labor 411, we’ve got plenty of ideas for Mom’s gift this year, all made by UFCW brothers and sisters!
You can also use you Union Plus discount to save 25% on hand delivered gift baskets from Telefora, as well as on their beautifully arranged bouquets.
For other Union Plus savings on Mother’s Day gifts, click here.
Get Mom a gift card to Macy’s, H&M, Bloomingdale’s, Modell’s, or CVS–where she’s sure to be greeted by the hard-working UFCW brothers and sisters who work there!
UFCW-made beauty products:
Avon
Caress skin care
Dove beauty care
Lander personal care
L’Oreal
UFCW-made sweets:
Ghirardelli Chocolates
UFCW-made Apparel:
Naturalizer Shoes
Carhartt Products
UFCW-made recipes to make for mom:
Empire Kosher Ultimate Rosh Hashana Chicken (Thank UFCW members for Empire Kosher)
Ingredients: 1 Empire Kosher 8 Piece Cut Up Chicken, 1 tablespoon Empire Kosher Rendered Chicken Fat, Salt, pepper to taste, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 garlic clove, minced, 1 shallot, minced, ¼ cup pomegranate juice (all natural unsweetened cranberry juice is also good), ¼ cup low salt Kosher chicken broth, 1 granny smith apple, cored and diced into ½” pieces, ¼ cup honey
Recipe Instructions:
- Pat chicken pieces dry with a paper towel. Season lightly with salt, pepper and cayenne. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Heat rendered fat in a Dutch oven or large 12″ skillet on medium high heat until smoking. Add 4 chicken pieces to the skillet and brown on both sides for 5 minutes.
- Remove from skillet to a clean plate. Repeat with remaining 4 pieces of chicken.
- Leaving the juices in the pan, add the garlic and shallots, stirring and browning until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the pomegranate juice and broth, stir, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and add apple pieces.
- Simmer, uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the volume is reduced by half. Add honey to the skillet and stir into sauce.
- Place the browned chicken pieces in a casserole dish large enough to accommodate all 8 pieces Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through (160°F for white meat and 175°F for dark meat).
Linguine Ham Primavera (Thank UFCW members for Farmland Ham)
Ingredients: 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, 3/4 pound Farmland Ham, Julienne Ham Strips, 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil, 3 cups fresh assorted vegetables lightly steamed, 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons flour, 4 oz. uncooked linguine, 3 cups lowfat milk, 1 clove garlic crushed, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Recipe Instructions:
- Cut ham into thin strips. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
- Melt butter in large saucepan. Add garlic and cook until tender. Blend in flour. Stir in milk, basil, oregano and pepper; heat until mixture begins to bubble. Add vegetables and ham. Cover and simmer over low heat until mixture is thoroughly heated.
- Add pasta and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired, before serving.
Turkey Mignons with Blue Cheese and Balsamic Glaze (Thank UFCW members for Butterball poultry products)
Ingredients: 1 cup balsamic vinegar, 4 Butterball® Turkey Mignons, 6 tablespoons blue cheese crumbles
Recipe Instructions:
- For balsamic glaze, heat balsamic vinegar in small saucepan on medium heat, stirring frequently, until it is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 12 minutes. Set aside.
- Prepare mignons according to package directions for grilling.
- Top each with 1-1/2 tablespoons blue cheese. Return to grill 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Top each with 1 teaspoon of balsamic glaze.
All this week, Union Plus is also thanking union moms everywhere for the way they support our union families. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for other highlights of union moms everywhere!
May 4, 2015
Celebrating UFCW Moms: New UFCW Member Loves Her Job and Security of Being a Union Member
To continue our celebration of UFCW moms, we’re sharing the story of Local 1000 member Maggie Duhig-Freeman.
Maggie is a single divorced mom working at Kroger Marketplace in Lewisville, Texas, supporting her family and finishing college.
A little over a month ago, Maggie began working at her store and had started training. After her orientation, a 25 year UFCW member and rep came by the store to reach out to new folks and let them know about the union, and to see how members were doing.
Texas is a right to work state, but after Maggie learned about what a union is, she said she definitely wanted to give it a try.
“It sounded like a great idea,” Maggie says, “We talked about how the union can help facilitate interventions if there is ever a workplace dispute. They are there to really support the employees. I haven’t had any trouble at my store, but you never know what can happen!”
Maggie loves the people and her job as a cashier at Kroger Marketplace, and has now been a union member for about a month.
Maggie has never been in a union before but she had many people tell her that she should go for a union job.
“Belonging to the union is inexpensive, and in our store which is very big, it’s nice to have UFCW people, who have relationships with management and other employees who you may not have ever met help you get to know everyone and how things operate. Everyone here is awesome,” she says.
She also notes that if her store were to ever go on strike, the employees have the option to choose whether or not to join it, but as union member she would be out there fighting. “When you’re invested in something, they will go to bat for you.”
Another thing Maggie values about being in the union is her union benefits. The paid family and sick leave and the good union benefits in her contract will be very helpful someday, she says, adding that as a single mom, she needs that sort of support.
In her spare time, Maggie also volunteers, a lot. She is a notary official for the state of Texas, helping her community members get the important documents they need notarized. She has also been volunteering at her community food bank for six years, helping unpack donations—many of which come from her own workplace, where employees including herself and customers can buy bags of groceries as part of a donation program to the Denton County Food Bank.
When she was younger, Maggie also volunteered at several political conventions, where she enjoyed listening to various candidates speeches. This inspired her to be even more involved politically—she now volunteers at polling places and worked the polls for President Obama’s campaign during his second election.
Maggie is a wonderful member of her community, and we are happy to welcome her to the union family and congratulate her on her union job that enables her to take care of her family!
Are you a union mom too? Share your story with us at http://www.ufcw.org/resources/members/share-your-story/
May 1, 2015
Celebrating UFCW Moms: Local 655 Member Fights Right To Work; Stands Up for Union Rights that Gave Her and Her Daughter Better Life
With Mother’s Day right around the corner, we couldn’t think of a better time to celebrate the great work that UFCW mothers do, each and every day!
One such union mom, Theresa Hester of UFCW Local 655, recently shared her story of how the union has changed her life in a testimony before the Missouri State Senate to explain why Right to Work laws are wrong:
In 1998, Theresa moved to St. Louis after graduating from high school. That year, she established three goals her herself: continue her education, provide a better living for herself and her young daughter, and get off government assistance.
For a few years, she moved from job to job, but none allowed her to be able to support her daughter the way she wanted – until 2003 when she started working at Shop ‘n Save and became a member of UFCW Local 655.
Unfortunately, that same year, she and her co-workers were forced to go on strike in order to save their healthcare and benefits. Theresa experienced union solidarity first-hand, saying “we were out there, walking day and night, fighting for the things we needed to support our families. The thing that stood out to me was how united we were on our common issues during that period. I realized the real power of a union is how people come together.”
Theresa has come a long way since that first eye-opening experience and has now been a Local 655 member for 12 years. She says that being a union member has allowed her to raise her daughter in a good environment, and have the flexible scheduling she needs to attend PTA meetings or participate in after school activities with her daughter. “There’s no greater feeling than knowing you can tell your child that you’ll be at their performance, or Christmas party, or whatever the case may be,” she says.
Additionally, Theresa’s union job has enabled her to meet the goals she set for herself years ago. She now lives in North St. Louis in a home she owns and is able to afford. Not only does she no longer need government assistance, she was able to pay for and attend accounting school.
“I know personally the benefits of having a union job and what it does for hardworking families,” Theresa told the state Senate during her testimony. “I’m free to work any place I choose.”
That’s why Theresa has been speaking out about Right to Work laws in her state. When she talks to her co-workers and friends about the legislation, they are very concerned because the proposed law is so confusing, deceptive, and has such potential to hurt hard-working families.
Theresa argues that legislators should be discussing raising the minimum wage, creating jobs that pay living wages, and investing in education and infrastructure. She knows that Right to Work laws create unsafe workplaces, weaken worker power, and diminish the likelihood of workers having a pension or healthcare.
“Because I have a union job, I sleep easier at night knowing I have great benefits, better working conditions, great healthcare, and a voice that someone will hear,” Theresa says. She gives credit to her local union (UFCW Local 655) and the contract she and her co-workers help to negotiate for making that possible.
Our union family wouldn’t be what it is without your brave, strong, and united voices. Are you a UFCW mom, or a member with a story to share? Tell us at http://www.ufcw.org/resources/members/share-your-story/.
April 21, 2015
Following Retaliatory Closures, Walmart Workers Take Legal Action
Supported by elected officials, clergy and community members, group files for injunctive relief with the National Labor Relations Board on behalf of workers
Local school board launches resolution calls on Walmart to consider economic impact to local community, transfer and reinstate workers
NATIONWIDE —Yesterday Pico Rivera Walmart workers with OUR Walmart filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board in response to Walmart’s retaliatory store closings. Last week, Walmart abruptly closed 5 Walmart stores in four states due to an alleged national plumbing emergency. However, city officials point out that the company has obtained no permits to begin repairs in any of these locations. Walmart has failed to offer any evidence of a plumbing emergency that would require the immediate closing of five stores. Among the five stores was the Pico Rivera, California Walmart Supercenter, which has been the hotbed for worker action. The store is also of symbolic important to the low-wage worker movement, as it sparked the Walmart and fast food strikes when it was the first store to go on strike in October of 2012. Workers from the store also held the first large sit-down strike and participated in civil disobedience in the weeks prior to last Black Friday.
“This is a new low, even for Walmart,” said Venanzi Luna, an eight-year Walmart worker and long-time OUR Walmart member. “It’s just so heartless to put thousands of your employees out of a job with no clear explanation on just a few hours’ notice. We know that Walmart is scared of all we have accomplished as members of OUR Walmart so they’re targeting us. Through OUR Walmart, we’re going to keep fighting back until the company gives us our jobs back. It’s unfortunate that Walmart has chosen to hurt the lives of so many people, just to try to conceal their real motives of silencing workers just like they’ve always done.”
Workers are asking the National Labor Relations Board to see injunctive relief under section 10j of the National Labor Relations Act. They are calling on the National Labor Relations Board to compel Walmart to rehire all of the workers who were terminated in all five stores and reinstate them to their own stores or transfer them without loss of pay until they can be reinstated to their stores. A 10j injunction is designed to allow the court to act quickly to remedy such extreme violations without the long delay which is anticipated for NLRB proceedings.
As the filing notes, this is not the first time Walmart has taken dramatic action to quell worker action. In June of 2014, the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that Walmart had violated labor law when it closed the Jonquiére, Quebec Walmart store. The workers in that store had voted to join a union, becoming the first unionized store in North America just before it closed. In 2000, butchers in a Jacksonville, Texas Walmart voted to join UFCW Local 540. Two weeks later, Walmart closed its 180 meat departments in stores nationwide and switched to prepackaged case ready meat only. More recently, Walmart fired and disciplined more than 70 workers who participated in strikes in June 2013. An Administrative Law Judge of the NLRB has found merit to claims against Walmart and additional claims are currently being prosecuted by the General Counsel of the NLRB against Walmart.
“Walmart’s choice to close one of the most vocal stores in the fight for $15 and full time is a clear and direct assault on all workers’ rights,” said Jobs With Justice Executive Director Sarita Gupta. “As a country, we cannot sit back quietly as our nation’s largest private employer is allowed to lay off thousands of people in an attempt to silence them from speaking out for better wages, hours and respect on the job.”
Community members and elected officials have also come out in support of Walmart workers. The El Rancho Unified School District, in which the Pico Rivera store is located, will vote on a resolution in support of the laid off Pico Rivera Walmart workers. The resolution “calls on Walmart to consider the economic hardship their decision has caused for their 530 Associates from the Pico Rivera store and their families and commit to transfer all of the Associates to surrounding Walmart stores before new people are hired to fill positions in those stores…”
Other community members also attended yesterday’s press conference to call attention to the impact of Walmart’s actions on their neighborhoods, congregations and communities.
“It is a scandal against all that is righteous, though it is unfortunately not surprising, that Walmart, the economic Pharaoh who cannot see workers as people but only as expense lines, has again decreed unemployment and poverty and suffering on 530 workers here, and similar numbers in four other stores,” said local Rabbi Aryeh Cohen. “In November, I joined other clergy and community leaders and workers in an act of civil disobedience to support the brave workers who sat down and struck in order to stand up with dignity. We then demanded $15 an hour and access to full employment. Today our demands have not changed. However, we also demand that Pharaoh rehire all 530 workers, give them priority before hiring other workers for less pay, and support the fired workers beyond the mandated 60 days.”
Workers promised that they would continue to fight the company’s retaliatory closures with bold action until the company meets their calls for reinstatement, transfer with equal pay and compensation in the interim and finally, the opportunity to return to their stores when they reopen.
“Allowing Walmart to get away with such a blatant attack on the rights of workers’ in our community would open the door for any employer to simply develop ‘plumbing issues’ whenever workers stood up for change in their workplace,” said SEIU 721 Chief of Staff Gilda Valdez. “We need to send a message to Walmart and all employers that in our community, the rights of working people must be respected. That’s why we’ll continue to stand with Walmart workers as they fight to get back to work and for change at the world’s largest private employer.”
March 31, 2015
Celebrate Spring Holidays the Union-Made Way!
With the help of the AFL-CIO and Union Plus, we’ve compiled a UFCW-made shopping list and some UFCW-made recipes so that you can enjoy whichever Spring holidays you celebrate–whether it be Easter, Passover, or just celebrating the nice weather, while supporting your union brothers and sisters at the same time!
If you’re looking for some sweet treats from the Easter bunny, all of the following candies are made by members of the UFCW family:
- Cadbury Eggs
- Jelly Bellies
- Laffy Taffy
- Necco Wafers
- Mike and Ikes
- Thin Mints
- Tootsie Rolls
For Passover, the following UFCW-made items are just what you need:
Matzo Products, Crackers and Farfel
- Manischewitz
Meats
- Empire Kosher
Wine and Grape Juice
- Arbor Mist (UFCW)
- C.K. Mondavi (UFW, UFCW)
- Turning Leaf (UFCW)
- Minute Maid Grape Juice (UFCW)
- Welch’s Grape Juice (UFCW)
See more union-made wine and beverages here.
And for the chefs in the family, the following recipes are sure to make any family gathering a special one:
Apricot Glazed Ham via Farmland Foods
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 (about 5 pounds) Farmland® Boneless Smoked Ham – Old Fashioned Pit Ham
- 1 cup apricot preserves
- 1 cup apricot nectar
- 1/4 cup orange marmalade
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Directions
- Heat oven to 325°F. Place ham and apricot nectar in roasting pan.
- In small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Spread preserves mixture over surface of ham. Loosely cover and bake for 1 1/4 hours or until internal temperature reaches 140°F., basting ham with pan juices every 20 minutes.
- Slice ham and place on serving platter. Spoon pan juices over ham.
Make it union: Tyson Ham, Hormel Honey Roasted Ham, Cook’s Ham, Appleton Farms Ham, Black Forest Ham, and Butterball Ham are all made possible by UFCW members.
Roasted Leg of Lamb with Rosemary via AllRecipes.com
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons prepared Dijon-style mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 5 pounds whole leg of lamb
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Directions
- In a small bowl, combine the honey, mustard, rosemary, ground black pepper, lemon zest and garlic. Mix well and apply to the lamb. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
- Place lamb on a rack in a roasting pan and sprinkle with salt to taste.
- Bake at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and roast for 55 to 60 more minutes for medium rare. The internal temperature should be at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C) when taken with a meat thermometer. Let the roast rest for about 10 minutes before carving.
Make it union: Chiapetti Lamb and Fischer Meats Lamb are union-made by UFCW members.
Scalloped Potatoes via CookingChanneltv.com
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups smooth goat cheese
- 1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, finely sliced
- 2 large onions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, cubed
- Salt and pepper
Directions
- In a bowl, mix together the goat cheese with the cream. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the chives. Keep aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the potatoes into 1/8-inch thick slices by using a mandoline or a very sharp knife. Rinse and keep in cold water.
- In a large skillet, saute the onions with garlic for about 10 minutes in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Drain and pat dry the potatoes. In an ovenproof dish, nicely layer the potato slices. Cover with some caramelized onions, and 1/4 of the goat cheese mixture. Repeat the layers and finish with the goat cheese mixture. Season each layer with salt and pepper. Pour the rest of the cream mixture over the potatoes and the butter. Cook in the oven for 1 hour until golden brown.
Make it union: Country Fresh, Blue Bonnet, and Horizon dairy products (butter and heavy cream) are union-made by UFCW members.
Bacon Cheddar Deviled Eggs via AllRecipes.com
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 tablespoons finely shredded Cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon mustard
Directions
- Place eggs in a saucepan, and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover, and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, and cool. To cool more quickly, rinse eggs under cold running water.
- Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Alternatively, wrap bacon in paper towels and cook in the microwave for about 1 minute per slice. Crumble and set aside.
- Peel the hard-cooked eggs, and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks to a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, crumbled bacon and cheese. Stir in mustard. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and refrigerate until serving.
Make it union: Alta Dena, Horizon Organic, and President’s Choice eggs are union-made by UFCW members.
Ambrosia via FoodNetwork.com (recipe courtesy ofAlton Brown)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 ounces sour cream
- 6 ounces homemade mini marshmallows, approximately 3 cups
- 1 cup clementine orange segments, approximately 6 clementines
- 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
- 1 cup freshly grated coconut
- 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup drained maraschino cherries
Directions
- Place the cream and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip until stiff peaks are formed.
- Add the sour cream and whisk to combine. Add the marshmallows, orange, pineapple, coconut, pecans and cherries and stir to combine. Transfer to a glass serving bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.
Make it union: Domino Sugar, as well as Country Fresh, Blue Bonnet, and Horizon dairy products (heavy cream and sour cream), are union-made by UFCW members.
March 25, 2015
UFCW International President Marc Perrone Releases Statement on Kraft Heinz Merger
UFCW Local 538 members and Kraft workers Gloria Jenkins and Mark Grimes
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Marc Perrone, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement in response to the merger of Kraft and Heinz:
“We have a profound responsibility to provide our hard-working families the opportunity for a better life. It is why we have a proud history of negotiating union contracts, with both Heinz and Kraft, that provides these incredible men and women better pay, benefits and job security. By working together we have not only met our responsibility to our people, but have proved that companies that choose to be responsible can be profitable and successful. We will continue to work with Heinz and Kraft to ensure they do what is right and responsible and that ‘streamlining’ and ‘cost-cutting’ measures don’t hurt the workers, their families, who have helped make these companies a success.”
The UFCW represents approximately 1342 workers at Heinz locations in Fremont, Ohio; Holland, Michigan; Muscatine, Iowa; and Massillon, Ohio. Approximately 2870 Kraft workers in Coshocton, Ohio; Davenport, Iowa; Dover, Delaware; Jacksonville, Florida; Madison, Wisconsin; and Walton, New York are also UFCW members.
March 24, 2015
Massachusetts, Vermont and New York Co-op Workers Gather for First Ever Co-op Worker Summit
Workers meet to discuss future of co-ops and the food industry
Charlemont, Mass. – Dozens of co-op workers from three states and representing six both worker- and member-owned co-ops met Saturday at the first-ever regional co-op workers summit. The event, hosted by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1459, was the first of its kind.
“Co-ops have a unique place in our economy,” said Dan Clifford, President of Local 1459. “They are businesses that have the higher purpose of serving the communities in which they operate. As the co-op movement grows, sometimes the voice of co-op workers get lost. This summit was an important step to ensure those voices are heard and that co-ops live up to their highest aspirations.”
Workers from co-ops in Western Massachusetts, New York and Vermont gathered for panels on the future of the co-op movement and their role in improving their workplaces, their communities and the food we all eat. They also heard from Frances Moore Lappé, best-selling author of Diet for a Small Planet, who spoke about the important role that co-ops and co-op workers can have in building a more sustainable global economy.
“It’s critically important that the co-op movement doesn’t leave the workers’ voice behind,” said John Cevasco, a grocery worker from Greenfield’s Market in Greenfield, Mass. and a UFCW Local 1459 member. “We found our voice at Greenfield’s by forming a union, and I know our co-op is stronger because of it.”
“Our communities need high quality, local food and good family-supporting jobs,” said Russell Ziemba, a worker from the Honest Weight Food Co-op in Albany, N.Y. “Co-ops can play a critical role in meeting those needs if they listen to the voice of their workers. That’s why I’m glad I had the opportunity to be here and learn from other co-op workers in my region.”
The co-op workers also issued a series of collective recommendations to the regional and state food system plans, re-envisioning how the food system could serve the needs of citizens even better. They hope by injecting the voice of ground level workers and co-ops into the plan that they can make the plans both more ecologically and economically more sustainable.
March 19, 2015
Statement from UFCW International President Marc Perrone on News of Target Wage Increase
Every Retail Worker has the Right to a Decent Living, a Reliable Schedule, Quality Affordable Health Care, and Respect on the Job
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marc Perrone, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement about the news reports on Target’s wage increase and the collective gains secured by workers in the retail industry.
“A higher hourly wage for the hard-working men and women in retail is a first step in the right direction. For far too long, our UFCW family and those outside our family who deserve a better life have been fighting for more than just higher wages. We are fighting for good benefits, a safe and just workplace, and fair scheduling that allows all workers the hard-earned right to support themselves and their family.
“While the struggle against irresponsible companies continues, I believe the momentum is growing. Bad employers who put their bottom line before the people who work to make these companies succeed must change. These families deserve better. While steps forward are positive, we will not stop our fight to raise standards, provide more hours, stable scheduling, and good jobs for all of our family.”
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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.
