Politics Archives - Page 3 of 6

November 21, 2013

Dear Congress, Do Your Job

Esther Lopez delivering turkey and merlot to Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy’s office.

This morning, immigrant farmworkers, labor leaders, and immigration advocates went to the U.S. Capitol so that members of the House could see firsthand how hard immigrants in this country work.

Advocates delivered turkey and merlot processed by immigrant workers along with fact sheets to Speaker John Boehner, Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, Congressman Steve King, and other key House Republicans.

The purpose of the event was to remind House leaders who’s working hard for America while they take more days off.

This year Congress has taken 198 days off. They will only work 8 more days in 2013. Yet House Republican leaders claim they do not have enough time to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

They owe it to the American people to do their job.

Esther Lopez outside Speaker Boehner’s locked door.

Members of Congress should be working as hard as the rest of us. Each day that comprehensive immigration reform is delayed is another day where millions of immigrant workers have to suffer through stolen wages, unsafe working conditions, and unjust threats of deportation.

The immigration system in America is broken. The time to fix it is now.

Speaker Boehner isn’t just ignoring comprehensive immigration reform. He’s ignoring people who try to visit his office.

UFCW International Vice President Esther Lopez, Director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department, attempted to deliver a UFCW-made turkey to the Speaker, but his staff locked the door. In response, Lopez said, “We are not asking Congress to move the sun or the moon. We are just asking them to do their jobs.”

“At the UFCW, our members work hard – often in difficult conditions – to provide excellent products to customers and communities,” Lopez added. “UFCW members are doing their jobs. It is time for Congress to do the same and give us a vote on comprehensive immigration reform.”

November 6, 2013

Election Day Recap

Did you vote yesterday? Despite 2013 being considered an “off-year” election, the day was full of races and referendums that mattered to UFCW members and their families. Here is the UFCW Election Day recap:

In a big win for working families, New Jersey voters decisively approved a referendum raising the minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.25 and tying it to inflation. This will give 429,000 New Jersey workers a long overdue pay raise and help lift wages across the state. Raising the minimum wage will also give consumers more money to spend on goods and services, resulting in a nice boost for New Jersey’s economy.

Bill de Blasio was elected mayor of New York City. He is widely seen as someone who will be a progressive leader, which is welcome news for working families in the Big Apple. His campaign focused on inequality – pledging to enact policies that will help poor and working class New Yorkers who feel increasingly left behind. de Blasio believes labor unions are a guarantor of economic security and has pledged to improve city schools and expand affordable housing.

In Virginia, Terry McAuliffe was elected Governor. Throughout his campaign he was a major supporter of working families. He is focused on working across the aisle to build an economy that allows more workers to obtain jobs with good pay and benefits.

Governor Elect Terry McAuliffe with Local 400 member Mary Taylor.

Every election and every vote matters. From making phone calls about candidates to helping their friends and family register to vote, UFCW members worked hard in all of these races.

363 days until Election Day, 2014. If you would like to get more involved in politics contact your local union. It’s fun, memorable, and most importantly you’ll be making a positive difference in your community.

October 24, 2013

UFCW Endorses Anesa Kajtazovic in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District

Iowa—The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) today endorsed State Representative Anesa Kajtazovic for the open seat in Iowa’s 1^st Congressional District.

“We are endorsing Representative Kajtazovic because she understands better than anyone the concerns of Iowa’s working families,” UFCW Locals 431 and 1149 said. “She shares the experience of arriving to Iowa as an immigrant with many of our members. She has seen our struggles firsthand and will fight every day to give all Iowans the opportunity to achieve the American Dream.”

In 2010, at age 24, Kajtazovic became the youngest woman ever elected to the Iowa legislature. Her fresh perspective and strong working class values have led to progress on issues that are meaningful to UFCW members. Throughout her two terms in the Iowa House, she has been a strong proponent of good jobs, affordable health care, and quality education.

Kajtazovic is well suited to carry on Congressman Bruce Braley’s legacy as a champion of workers’ rights. She quickly learned about the importance of a union contract when her mother was injured on the job and denied the opportunity to see the physician of her choice. She is also the first and only candidate in the race who has visited the UFCW-represented Tyson plant in Waterloo.

“We know she will fight for us because she is one of us,” the locals said.

UFCW Locals 431 and 1149 represent over 2,500 workers in the 1^st Congressional District.

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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 http://twitter.com/UFCW.

October 22, 2013

UFCW Endorses Staci Appel in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District

Iowa—The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) today endorsed State Senator Staci Appel in Iowa’s 3^rd Congressional District.

“Senator Appel’s record and her values align perfectly with the needs of the 3^rd Congressional District,” UFCW Locals 1149, 230, 431, and 293 said. “She has worked hard to strengthen voting rights, ensure equal pay for equal work, and make college more affordable.”

During her four years in the state Senate, Appel fought for and passed landmark legislation making quality preschool programs available to every Iowa family. She also backed legislation to implement same day voter registration. She is running against Congressman Tom Latham in a district President Obama carried by four points in 2012.

“Tom Latham has been part of the least productive House of Representatives in history,” the locals concluded. “Not only did he shut down the government, he has attacked the social safety net, tried to destroy unions, and has done nothing to create jobs. Iowa deserves better.”

UFCW Locals 1149, 230, 431, and 293 represent nearly 1,000 workers in the 3^rd Congressional District.

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September 23, 2013

UFCW Locals Across Ohio Endorse FitzGerald for Governor

Ohio—United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 75, 1059, and 17A, along with members of the UFCW Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Council and International Chemical Workers Union (ICWU) Council, today endorsed Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald for Governor and several other strong candidates for statewide office. These UFCW locals and councils represent over 45,000 workers across Ohio.

“The current leadership in Columbus has failed Ohio’s working families,” the locals said. “Their vision for our state was SB 5–an extreme, unsafe, and unfair law which would have destroyed the freedom of workers to stick together in the workplace. Ohio voters rightly and overwhelmingly repealed SB 5. Now we must remove the politicians who tried to force it upon us.”

“We are extremely confident that Ed FitzGerald is the person to get Ohio back on the right track,” the locals added. “He understands that Ohio workers are sick and tired of their leaders putting profits over people. He wants to make Ohio a leader in attracting employers that pay a living wage and offer good benefits. And he will always protect workers’ fundamental right to form a union.”

In addition to FitzGerald, the UFCW locals endorsed the following candidates:

David Pepper for Attorney General: Pepper has the experience we need in our top law enforcement officer. As Hamilton County Commissioner his efforts have helped prevent crime and improve public safety.

Nina Turner for Secretary of State: Senator Turner is driven by the belief that voting in Ohio should be more expansive, modern and convenient. She will roll back Secretary of State Jon Husted’s troubling tide of measures which restricted the right to vote.

Connie Pillich for Treasurer: Representative Pillich understands that in order for Ohio to compete now and in the future, we must invest in health care and education. As Treasurer, she will make sure our budget is never balanced on the backs of children, seniors, workers, or veterans.

John Patrick Carney for Auditor: Representative Carney is the right choice for Auditor because he will fight for a more open and transparent state government that people can see and trust to spend their hard earned tax dollars effectively.

“All of these candidates share our concerns and care about making life better for workers and their families,” the locals said. “This is the team of leaders that Ohio’s working families deserve to have in Columbus. We are proud to give them all our full support.”

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July 31, 2013

NLRB Nominees Confirmed by Senate

For the first time in a decade, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has a full slate of confirmed board members.

The five members are current NLRB Chairman Mark Pearce; Nancy Schiffer, a former AFL-CIO associate general counsel; and NLRB attorney Kent Hirozawa, currently the chief counsel to Pearce; and attorneys Philip Miscimarra and Harry Johnson, who have represented management in labor disputes.

This is welcome news for workers everywhere. With the NLRB at full strength, workers will be able to stick together and speak up for fair wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions without fear of employer intimidation or harassment.

Without the NLRB, employees who have been cheated or treated unfairly would have little recourse for wrongs committed against them.

Senate Republicans agreed to hold up-or-down votes on the NLRB nominees as part of a deal with Democrats to avoid rule changes that would limit the ability of the minority party to filibuster executive branch nominees.

These confirmations are a pleasant change from the obstructionist tactics Senate Republicans have become known for.

Hopefully this marks the beginning of a more functional U.S. Senate that is more responsive to the needs of working families.

June 25, 2013

Happy 75th to the Fair Labor Standards Act!

On June 25th, 1938, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed into law the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This bill outlawed oppressive child labor, imposed a federal minimum wage of 25 cents per hour, and guaranteed workers one and a half times their regular pay for hours worked over 40 in a week.

President Roosevelt called it, “the most far-reaching…far-sighted programs for the benefit of workers ever adopted.”

It was a monumental moment for workers’ rights. For the first time ever, American workers were guaranteed a level of security in the workplace.

The FLSA wasn’t adopted without its fair share of critics. In 1938 unemployment was at 19% and opponents felt that installing a minimum wage would make that number go up. They were wrong.

As the FLSA became law, wages and employment both increased.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough to settle the debate about whether higher wages hurt employment –75 years later we’re still having it.

President Obama has proposed increasing the minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 per hour. His reasoning, mentioned in this year’s State of the Union address, was simple: “In the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty.”

In March of this year, House Republicans unanimously voted down a bill that would have increased the minimum wage.

Speaker John Boehner summed up his party’s opposition to raising the minimum wage by saying “When you raise the price of employment, guess what happens? You get less of it.”

That logic is faulty and was proven wrong in 1938.

If the 75th anniversary of the FLSA makes us aware of anything, it’s that it’s time to renew its promise. The wage floor it established no longer provides a basic level of economic security.

A single parent working full-time at the current federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour would earn $15,080 per year before taxes – putting them well below the poverty line.

If the minimum wage can only buy someone poverty than it’s too low.

Minimum wage workers deserve a raise. It’s time for Congress to give it to them.

June 20, 2013

UFCW Members Blitz Capitol Hill During National Lobby Day

On June 18th and 19th over 150 UFCW members and staff came to Washington D.C. to talk face to face with their Members of Congress about the important issues facing working men and women.

Lourdes Castellano, a member of Local 1776 who works at Cargill in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, was proud to add her voice to the debate on immigration reform.

“I’ve worked at Cargill for 11 years and I would say 95% of my coworkers are Latino. We all want comprehensive immigration reform so that we can feel like we have a welcoming home. It’s especially difficult to see coworkers with family members who are separated because not all of them are able to come to America. We want a fair path to citizenship so that families can be reunified.”

With the Senate currently debating S. 744, a comprehensive immigration reform bill, Local 5 member Lachele Thomas, who works at Safeway in Salinas, California, found the very real prospect of helping to pass this landmark legislation exciting.

“This is historical. It’s almost overwhelming. I’ll be so proud if I can look back and know that we helped pass immigration reform.”
It was also an excellent time to talk with Members of Congress about properly shaping bills that have already been passed. With the Affordable Care Act (ACA) slated to take full effect in 2014, Local 1262 member Delores Jackson, a Shop Rite employee in Rochelle Park, New Jersey, was happy to be sharing her concerns about fairly implementing the law.

“I’m very excited to be here. I want them to hear my point of view. I’ve been with the union for years. We fought hard for our current benefits and we deserve to keep them. I’m hoping I can convince some of these politicians to help us with this ACA problem. I want to keep my good health care. I don’t want it to change. I can’t afford to pay more for less health care coverage – that’s just not right. Usually politicians just talk to us – it’s time we came up here and talked with them. They need to hear our voice. They need to know how it is for us.”

One of the big takeaways, especially for members who had never lobbied before, was how effective their participation can be. For Humberto Munoz, a member of Local 5 who works at Safeway in Salinas, California, the experience was rewarding.

“I met my Congressman – visiting him in his office was a great experience. I realized being here that they do listen and that talking with them really can make a difference.”

With members and staff from California, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Arizona, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Virginia, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Tennessee, Nevada, Florida, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Maryland showing up, it truly was a national lobby day.

If anyone reading this is thinking about getting more involved politically – stop thinking about it and start doing it. Shante Vinalon, a Local 1996 member who works at Kroger in Decatur, Georgia, was happy she did.

“I’ve worked at Kroger for 8 years. This is my first time lobbying in DC. Meeting and sitting down with Representatives one on one is empowering. I get an understanding of where they’re coming from and they get an understanding of where we’re coming from. I’m able to see who is for us and who is against us. I like it. It’s a great experience. Everyone should do it. I plan on encouraging all my friends back home to do it.”

UFCW’s National Lobby Day proved to everyone that politicians are a lot more approachable than they sometimes seem. If we want our concerns to be heard, we have to be willing to speak up.

May 21, 2013

UFCW President Joe Hansen in The Hill: Treat nonprofit healthcare fairly

“If you already have health insurance through your job — and because many of you are members of unions, you do — nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change your coverage or your doctor. Let me repeat: Nothing in this plan will require you to change your coverage or your doctor.” Those were the words spoken by President Obama at the AFL-CIO Convention in Pittsburgh on Sept. 15, 2009.

Since then, Congress has passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and it has been signed into law.

It has withstood a challenge before the Supreme Court. Regulations have been issued, exchanges created, and open enrollment is set to begin in a matter of months. Unfortunately, what also has become increasingly clear with each passing day is that the president’s statement to labor in 2009 is simply not true for millions of workers.

For decades, unions have negotiated high quality, affordable health insurance through nonprofit Taft-Hartley plans — one of the few reliable private providers for lower income individuals.

These plans are mutually agreed upon between union members and participating employers and provide insurance to millions of American workers.

In addition to being a long-standing and successful provider, these plans have been models of efficiency, achieving better cost savings than for-profit insurance carriers with medical loss ratios often exceeding 90 percent. That means 90 cents out of every dollar go to patient care.

Savings in healthcare can free up money for wages and pensions, and thus drive the economy forward for all of us.

But as currently interpreted, the ACA would block these plans from the law’s benefits (such as the subsidy for lower-income individuals and families) while subjecting them to the law’s penalties (like the $63 per insured person to subsidize Big Insurance). This creates unstoppable incentives for employers to reduce weekly hours for workers currently on our plans and push them onto the exchanges where many will pay higher costs for poorer insurance with a more limited network of providers. In other words, they will be forced to change their coverage and quite possibly their doctor. Others will be channeled into Medicaid, where taxpayers must pick up the tab.

In addition, the ACA includes a fine for failing to cover full-time workers but includes no such penalty for part-timers (defined as working less than 30 hours a week). As a result, many employers are either reducing hours below 30 or discontinuing part-time health coverage altogether. This is a cut in pay and benefits workers simply cannot afford. For example, a worker making $10 an hour that has his or her schedule cut by six hours a week would lose $3,100 a year in income. With millions of workers impacted, this would have a devastating effect on our economy.

Beginning next year, states are required to have health insurance exchanges up and running to cover the growing uninsured population in this country.

The ACA offers a subsidy to lower-income individuals and families so they can afford to purchase this insurance. As many of our members fall into this category, we believe the subsidy can and should apply to nonprofit plans. All we want is equality — where our plans are treated the same as for-profit insurers.

The Obama administration has refused our request, citing legal hurdles. But since the treatment of Taft-Hartley plans is not fully described in the ACA, we believe the regulatory process is exactly the appropriate place to deem them qualified health plans eligible for subsidies. Any objective review of the evidence and reasonable definition of what our funds provide leads to this conclusion.

We’d be open to a legislative fix, but ultimately this is the administration’s responsibility. They are leading the regulatory process. It’s their signature law.

We don’t want a handout. Our members want to keep the healthcare they currently have. Let me repeat — our members want to keep the healthcare they currently have. We just want them to be treated fairly.

Hansen is the president of the 1.3 million member United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and chairman  of Change to Win.

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.

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