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News and Updates
Congress
March 5, 2012
UFCW Releases Congressional Scorecard
WASHINGTON, DC-The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) today released its Congressional Scorecard for the 1st session of the 112th Congress.
Whether it was jobs or workers’ rights, each member of Congress was judged on their commitment to America’s working families. The bills that were scored each had or would have had a real-life impact on the 1.3 million members the UFCW represents in retail, grocery, and meatpacking.
“By and large, the first session of the 112th Congress was a disappointment,” said UFCW International President Joe Hansen. “House Republicans focused on anti-worker politics instead of jobs. And the Senate, while rightly blocking many of the extreme measures passed by the House, was too gridlocked by its own archaic rules to do much more. This scorecard shows in the clearest of terms which members of Congress stood with workers and which members stood in our way.”
UFCW positively scored votes supporting the American Jobs Act, extending Trade Adjustment Assistance, and protecting the right of workers to organize. On the other hand, it penalized members who voted to dismantle workers’ rights and pass the most extreme budget in generations.
The breakdown of grades is as follows:
Senate Breakdown House Breakdown
| 40 | A’s | 176 | |
| 11 | B’s | 8 | |
| 2 | C’s | 3 | |
| 0 | D’s | 6 | |
| 47 | F’s | 240 | |
“The release of this scorecard serves to remind the entire Congress that they will be held accountable for their actions,” Hansen said. “Simply put, there are too many F’s here. We need our elected representatives to stand with workers, not corporations. We hope that in 2012 Congress shifts away from petty partisan politics and toward creating more jobs and opportunity.”
To search interactively for a member’s score by zip code, click here.
For a pdf of the full scorecard, click here.
August 2, 2011
Statement on the debt agreement by president Joe Hansen
NO JOBS, JUST CUTS
STATEMENT BY CHANGE TO WIN CHAIR AND UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION PRESIDENT JOSEPH HANSEN ON THE DEBT LIMIT DEAL
(Washington, D.C.) – The following is a statement issued by Change to Win Chair and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union President Joseph Hansen:
“‘The deal reached by Congress and the Administration to raise the U.S. debt ceiling is a bad deal for workers. Congress has failed to offer leadership toward job creation. This legislation threatens the social safety net that seniors, children and the unemployed rely on. Even worse, leadership has capitulated to extreme demands that will further threaten the economic security of regular working people.
Americans are working hard to rebuild the middle class – they are working multiple jobs, putting in long hours, and making personal sacrifices to help their communities stay strong. Workers deserve better from elected leaders with a serious commitment to job creation, not simply cuts to the budget. Economic recovery demands a shared sacrifice from Wall Street and the wealthy to match what is asked of regular Americans.'”
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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, immigration 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
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September 25, 2008
UNITED FOOD AND COMMERICAL WORKERS URGES CONGRESS TO MAKE RETIREMENT SECURITY PART OF FINANCIAL RESCUE PACKAGE
Washington DC — The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is calling on Congress to include pension security as part of the financial rescue package expected to pass by day’s end tomorrow.
Current pension law provides that if a pension plan’s rating slips, benefits of retirees must be cut absent increases in funding. It would be grossly unfair to pensioners if their benefits were cut while a troubled financial institution receives bailout assistance.
The fair course to take would be to temporarily suspend the enforcement of the pension law until Congress develops a plan to allow pension portfolios to return to more normal levels.
This would benefit both union and non-union companies. It is crucial that any actions taken by Congress do not permanently reduce the pension benefits in an attempt to solve the temporary but serious financial crisis.
The retirement security for millions of workers and their families is on the line. Congress must be mindful of the long-term implications of the rescue package and how it relates to other regulatory laws that impact workers pensions. Failure to address the immediate adverse impact of the financial meltdown on pension plans would have disastrous consequences for ordinary working Americans who have an expectation of receiving adequate benefits at retirement.