December 4, 2017

New “How To” Video Features Local 1000 Kroger Florist

Michelle Garrett, a member of UFCW Local 1000 who works as a florist at a Kroger store in Texas, is back to show you how to create a topiary for the holidays in the UFCW’s new “how to” video.

This video is part of a series of “how to” tips from UFCW members who are experts in their fields. In addition to Michelle’s tips about how to create a beautiful topiary, the series features expert advice from a UFCW butcher, produce clerk, prep cook, cake decorator and makeup artist.

You can watch Michelle create a holiday topiary here. You can also subscribe to UFCW’s “how to” videos here.

November 13, 2017

New “How To” Video Features Local 1000 Kroger Florist

Michelle Garrett, a member of UFCW Local 1000 who works as a florist at a Kroger store in Texas, is back to show you how to create a fall centerpiece in the UFCW’s new “how to” video.

This video is part of a series of “how to” tips from UFCW members who are experts in their fields. In addition to Michelle’s tips about how to create a beautiful centerpiece for the holidays, the series features expert advice from a UFCW butcher, produce clerk, prep cook, cake decorator and makeup artist.

You can watch Michelle create a fall centerpiece here. You can also subscribe to UFCW’s “how to” videos here.

November 13, 2017

UFCW OSH Office Conducts “Train the Trainer” Program

The UFCW Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Office recently convened a health and safety “train the trainer” program in Chicago for union representatives, staff, and stewards from 12 UFCW local unions.

The UFCW “train the trainer” programs on safety and health have taken place across the country since December 2011. This program provides participants with the necessary technical and leadership skills to actively participate in injury and illness prevention efforts in their workplaces, and conduct brief trainings at their locals or worksites.

UFCW Locals 7, 9, 23, 75, 227, 540, 555, 881, 1208, 1473, 1546 and 1776 participated in the training in Chicago, which was held in Spanish and English, and Region 6 Director Tish Ramirez opened the program. Of the 20 trainers that participated in the program, 10 were seasoned trainers from past “train the trainer” sessions, and 10 were new to the program.

“The most important thing I have learned over the years from these trainings is how important it is to speak up about safety and health in the workplace,” said Rodney Ryks, a member of UFCW Local 9 and a seasoned trainer.

“Through this program, lives are saved, injuries and illnesses prevented, and our union becomes stronger,” said Robyn Robbins, director of the UFCW OSH Office.

November 6, 2017

UFCW Draws Attention to Pay Disparities on Latina Equal Pay Day

On Nov. 2, the UFCW helped to draw attention to pay disparities for Latinas on Latina Equal Pay Day.

Although Latinas make substantial contributions to the U.S. economy, they have the largest wage gap, typically earning only 54 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men. Latinas must work more than 22 months to earn what White men earn in 12 months. This disparity in pay hurts not only Latinas, but also has a significant impact on the families and communities they support.

To help raise awareness about this wage gap, the UFCW joined the Twitter storm on Nov. 2. Our tweets reached over 50,000 people, and were retweeted hundreds of times. UFCW International Secretary-Treasurer Esther López also wrote about how we can work together to make a better life for Latinas working in the U.S. in an op-ed in Bustle, which was published on Latina Equal Pay Day.

“There exists a sure-fire way for Latina women to earn the better wages they deserve: joining a union in their industry. Latina women who have joined a union earn more than their non-union counterparts — $242 more per week, in fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,” López wrote.

You can read the entire op-ed here.

November 6, 2017

Local 770 Hosts Health and Safety Training Session

Local 770 hosted a free health and safety training in Spanish for worker and community leaders on Oct. 10, 17 and 24 at the Ricardo F. Icaza Workers’ Center in Huntington Park, California.

The training session was held in partnership with the UCLA Labor Occupational Safety and Health Program, and provided participants with the necessary technical and leadership skills to actively participate in injury and illness prevention efforts in their workplaces and communities. Over 20 people, including workers from Farmer John, Palisades Ranch, the CLEAN Carwash campaign, Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California, and community health promoters participated in the trainings and 18 participants graduated as Worker Occupational Safety and Health Specialists.

October 30, 2017

Celebrate Halloween with Union-Made Candies

UFCW members, as well as our brothers and sisters at the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers union (BCTGM), have been hard at work to make sure there are plenty of union-made candies for all those trick-or-treaters.

Click here for a list of 15 union-made candies for Halloween. For a longer list of union-made candies, visit Union Plus.

October 30, 2017

New “How To” Video Features Macy’s Makeup Artist

Jasmin Amely, a makeup artist at Macy’s in New York City and a member of RWDSU/UFCW Local 1-S, is back to show you how to create a wingtip eyeliner look in the UFCW’s new “how to” video.

This video is part of a series of “how to” tips from UFCW members who are experts in their fields. In addition to Jasmin’s makeup tips, the series features expert advice from a UFCW butcher, florist, produce clerk, prep cook, and cake decorator.

You can watch Jasmin show you how to create the cool and stylish wingtip eyeliner look here. You can also subscribe to UFCW’s “how to” videos here.

October 23, 2017

Latina Equal Pay Day Is Nov. 2

Although Latinas make substantial contributions to the U.S. economy, they have the largest wage gap, typically earning only 54 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men. You can help us fight unfair and unequal wages by supporting hard-working Latinas on Thursday, Nov. 2.

Latinas must work more than 22 months to earn what White men earn in 12 months. This disparity in pay hurts not only Latinas, but also has a significant impact on the families and communities they support.

Please get involved and help us draw attention to this economic disparity by joining the Twitter storm (#LatinaEqualPay and #Trabajadoras) on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 2-3 p.m. Eastern Time. Additional information about Latina Equal Pay Day is available here.

October 23, 2017

UFCW Joins with NAACP and AFT in Defense of DACA

On Oct. 23, the UFCW joined the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) in a lawsuit against President Trump, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Department of Homeland Security in response to the Trump administration’s termination of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

The joint legal action makes clear that the Trump administration’s decision to rescind DACA disregarded the due process rights of the DACA registrants, and failed to engage in the required analysis or rulemaking procedures required by the Regulatory Flexibility Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, both of which are laws put into place to safeguard the public against this very type of impulsiveness by leaders in powerful positions.

UFCW International President Marc Perrone issued the following statement about joining the lawsuit:

“While we support the effort to find a bipartisan solution to protect the rights of DACA recipients, ending DACA without regard to due process or proper rulemaking is not only a betrayal of the 800,000 individuals who have always and only called the United States their home, it needlessly jeopardizes the rights and procedures that protect every American citizen.  

“No matter one’s politics or the administration, every person in this country deserves due process. Moreover, our government can’t function without adhering to certain rules and procedures. Ignoring them jeopardizes the rights and freedoms of us all. 

“With respect to DACA recipients, these young men and women love this country, and it is their home. They work side by side with us, live in our communities, and are dedicated members of our union family and countless others. They, like all of us, want nothing more than to build a better life for themselves and their families.

“The legal action we have taken with the NAACP and AFT is critical to protecting and ensuring the rights and freedoms of DACA recipients, and every person who calls this nation their home.”

October 10, 2017

MCAW’s College Tour Reaches 1.6 Million Students

On Oct. 4, Making Change at Walmart (MCAW) ended its “2017 Trump & Walmart Make America Worse” tour at the University of Virginia’s campus in Charlottesville. Tour organizers visited 30 college campuses from September 5 to October 4 to expose the shared values and agenda of Trump and Walmart, which promote the privatization of our public education system and profit from a low-wage economy. The campaign reached 1.6 million college students through digital ads at targeted campuses along the tour, and signed up over 2,500 students to join the campaign to stop the Trump and Walmart agenda.

A large part of the tour utilized social media, digital ads, student video interviews, and text messaging to effectively engage college students about the Trump and Walmart agenda and sign students up to the MCAW campaign. Tour organizers also asked students via an online survey if they think Trump and Walmart make America better or worse. Out of the 1,573 people who responded, 94 percent said worse, five percent said better, and only one percent didn’t answer.

“This tour gave us the opportunity to connect with students and leaders who will be key partners in promoting a culture that values where you shop and who you support,” said MCAW Director Randy Parraz.