May 29, 2018

Court Rulings Restore DACA Program Renewals

Federal court rulings recently halted the Trump administration’s termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.  The court orders require U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to resume accepting DACA renewal applications.  These orders apply nationwide to any individual previously awarded DACA. Individuals never awarded DACA are not eligible to apply.

Here is basic information about the DACA renewal application process:

Who is eligible to apply for DACA renewal?

Any individual who was previously granted DACA may apply, including individuals whose DACA has expired; current DACA recipients whose DACA is about to expire; and individuals whose DACA was terminated.

Renewal process for DACA recipients whose DACA expired on or after September 5, 2016 or will expire:

A previous recipient whose DACA status expired on or after September 5, 2016, or whose status is expected to expire, may file a renewal request.

The renewal should be filed with USCIS on Form I-821D, Form I-765 (work authorization application), and Form I-765WS (worksheet).

Renewal process for DACA recipients whose DACA expired before September 5, 2016:

An individual previously granted DACA whose eligibility expired before September 5, 2016, must file a new initial DACA request.

The request should be filed with USCIS on Form I-821D, Form I-765 (work authorization application), and Form I-765WS (worksheet).

Renewal process for DACA recipients whose eligibility was terminated:

An individual whose most recent DACA grant was terminated may file a new initial application with USCIS on Form I-821D, Form I-765 (work authorization application), and Form I-765WS (worksheet).

Information applicable to all filers:

A filing fee will be charged or the filer may apply to waive the fee.

All applications should list the date DACA expired or was terminated.

There will be no advance parole granted during this period.

The same program requirements in effect prior to the program’s termination will apply to renewals.

DACA recipients must have resided continuously in the U.S. from the time of their initial DACA request to the present.

DACA recipients must not have departed the U.S. on or after August 15, 2012, except on advance parole.

If a recipient has had any interaction with law enforcement since the last DACA approval, it is advisable to consult with an attorney.

DACA recipients may contact UFCW Legal Department at (202) 223-3111 with questions.

 

May 21, 2018

UFCW Responds to Bipartisan Defeat of Farm Bill

UFCW International President Marc Perrone released a statement on May 18 regarding the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (H.R. 2), also known as the Farm Bill, failing to pass in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Perrone’s statement reads as follows:

“This Farm Bill was flawed and deserved to be defeated.

“The most common jobs in our country are retail jobs where work schedules are uncertain and vary widely from week to week. If this bill had become law, someone who works hard could have lost access to food simply because their employer cut their hours.

“We urge members of Congress to go back to the drawing board, and work together to craft a Farm Bill that doesn’t punish hard-working families, protects jobs, and actually makes life better in the communities we call home.”

May 7, 2018

UFCW Pork Plant Workers Tell USDA to Keep Line Speeds Safe

Over 6,500 UFCW members who work in pork plants submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in opposition to a proposed rule that would increase the line speeds where they work, threatening both them and the consumers they serve. On May 3, UFCW International President Marc Perrone released a statement as the comment period for this rule ended.

Perrone’s statement reads as follows:

“The American people and our members are clear – faster line speeds in pork plants will lead to more workplace injuries and less safe food.

“The hard-working professionals employed in America’s pork plants are united in opposition to this proposed rule because they know better than anyone the harmful effects of increasing production speeds.

“We urge the USDA to hear their voices and rewrite this rule so that the people who work in pork plants and the millions they serve can all be kept safe.”

March 5, 2018

UFCW Advocates COOL During Seventh Round of NAFTA Talks

As renegotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) reach their seventh round, UFCW International President Marc Perrone issued a statement regarding the importance of reinstating country of origin labeling (COOL) in any final agreement.

Perrone’s statement reads as follows:

“Right now, consumers have no way of knowing which country their meat is from and it puts them at risk of purchasing less safe products.

“The return of COOL would ensure families are able to see exactly where their food comes from and bring hard-working farmers, ranchers, meat processing workers, and communities the better life they’ve earned and deserve.

“Reinstating COOL would immediately make NAFTA better for hard-working families across the continent and we urge negotiators to include it in any agreement.”

February 20, 2018

UFCW Responds to White House Request to Test Harvest Box Plan

On Feb. 15, UFCW International President Marc Perrone issued a statement regarding the White House asking Congress for $30 million this year to test the “America’s Harvest Box” proposal in President Trump’s fiscal 2019 budget. This proposal would significantly change the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps).

Perrone’s statement reads as follows:

“Whether you are Republican or Democrat, pro-union or not, shop at a big grocery store or a small local co-op, ‘America’s Harvest Box’ is one of the worst policy proposals ever made to address hunger and poverty. It will further worsen the economic divide across the country and must be stopped for the sake of the better America we all believe in.

“The harvest box proposal punishes the poor, removes significant sales from local grocery stores, and needlessly puts millions of good grocery store jobs at risk of being eliminated.

“The grocery stores our members work in are often the largest employers in their communities, and provide the wages and benefits necessary for hard-working families to build and live better lives.”

 

January 29, 2018

Local 400 and Allies Call on Virginia Legislators to Expand Medicaid, Increase Minimum Wage

On Jan. 24, UFCW Local 400 and allies called on Virginia legislators to expand Medicaid and increase the state’s minimum wage to $15. Participants at the rally also called on state legislators to provide access to driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants working in Virginia.

The rally, which took place in Richmond, was organized by Take Action Virginia, an alliance of organizations that includes UFCW Local 400, as well as 32BJ SEIU, SEIU Virginia 512, CASA in Action, LiUNA! Mid-Atlantic, NAKASEC Action Fund, UNITE HERE Local 23, and UNITE HERE Local 25. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, Senators Scott Surovell and Rosalyn Dance, and Delegates Jennifer Boysko and Marcus Simon also attended the rally.

“The federal minimum wage has been frozen for nearly 10 years,” said UFCW Local 400 President Mark Federici. “We have a president who has never had to work a day in his life – but somehow thinks $7.25 an hour is too high – and a Republican-controlled Congress that is only interested in giving tax breaks to the wealthiest few. It’s up Virginia lawmakers to do the right thing and boost the wage floor for hard-working men and women, like so many other states and local municipalities have done.”

 

January 29, 2018

Local 1000 Hosts Oklahoma Political Conference

UFCW Local 1000, alongside the Legislative and Political Action Department, hosted a political conference in Oklahoma City on Jan. 24. This is the first time UFCW Local 1000 sponsored such a event in Oklahoma.

Almost a dozen elected members of the Oklahoma Legislature met with Local 1000 members and staff to discuss the issues affecting the working men and women of the UFCW across Oklahoma, including country of origin labeling, paid sick days, cannabis, and health care. The state representatives and senators in attendance included two newly elected members of the legislature, Rep. Jacob Rosencrans and Sen. Alison Ikley-Freeman, who were elected in special elections where UFCW support was key.

January 9, 2018

Working Families United Protests Termination of Salvadoran TPS

On Jan. 8, Working Families United protested the termination of Temporary Protective Status (TPS) for 200,000 Salvadorans currently working and living in America. The UFCW is one of five unions that form the Working Families United immigration campaign, which also includes UNITE HERE, IUPAT, Iron Workers, and Bricklayers. All five unions represent tens of thousands of TPS union workers in hospitality, construction, meat processing and trades.

“Hundreds of thousands of hard-working families who pay taxes and contribute to our communities will now be forced to upend their lives and settle into a dangerous country they no longer know,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone. “From working in meatpacking and food processing plants to retail shops to other sectors, people with TPS hold key roles in our economy that make America stronger and safer.”

Maria Elena Durazo, general vice president of UNITE HERE, echoed that sentiment. “Today Trump’s DHS is taking nearly 200,000 law-abiding American immigrants and turning them from legal workers into targets for deportation,” Durazo said.

Looking forward, Working Families United member unions are pledging to keep the fight to save TPS up at the congressional level, including with a nearly one million dollar advocacy budget.

“We urge Congress to do what is right and immediately pass a long-term legislative solution that gives every TPS family the stability and security they’ve earned and deserve,” said Kenneth E. Rigmaiden, general president of IUPAT. “As a union family, we are committed to helping people who work hard build better lives – especially when they’ve been forced to flee their home countries due to unimaginable violence. We will amplify those voices and stand steadfast, shoulder to shoulder, until a just solution is reached.”