2005

Constituency Groups, Press Releases, UFCW Values, United Latinos

Declaraciones de Joe Hansen, Presidente Internacional de la UFCW

Nov 09, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC – Los trabajadores de empacadoras de carne, de procesadoras avícolas y de otros alimentos, cuentan finalmente con el respaldo y protección de la corte más alta del país.  Hoy, la Corte Suprema de Justicia de Estados Unidos afirmó una postura mantenida por mucho tiempo por trabajadores y por la Union de Trabajadores de Alimentos y Entidades Comerciales (UFCW) – que indica que las empresas deben pagar a sus trabajadores por el tiempo utilizado para cumplir con requisitos de seguridad laboral, como el uso de equipos de protección personal.  Desde hace décadas que la UFCW aboca para que se le pague al trabajador por la totalidad de tiempo en el trabajo.

Hace ya demasiado tiempo que las empresas se aprovechan de sus trabajadores, y que rehúsan pagar una remuneración justa, que incluye el tiempo utilizado para recoger equipos de seguridad y protección personal de uso obligatorio en el trabajo como guantes de correo en cadena, red/malla para el pelo, delantal y botas pesadas.

Empresas gigantes de la industria de la carne como Tyson Foods, que es dueña de IBP, han insistido por mucho tiempo que el horario de trabajo remunerado excluye el tiempo que generalmente le toma a un trabajador  para recoger y ponerse equipos de seguridad obligatorios, así como para llegar al lugar especifico de la planta donde éste trabaja.  Este proceso puede tomar hasta 30 a 40 minutos cada día.

Hoy, la Corte Suprema de Justicia determinó por unanimidad que los trabajadores merecen ser pagados por ese tiempo.  El hecho que haya sido la Corte Suprema quien tuvo que decidir este tema refleja una vez más la cultura a la avaricia y a la arrogancia que afecta a las empresas de este país.  Como no bastó con estafar a sus empleados por años, las empacadoras de carne tuvieron que llegar hasta la corte más alta para luchar por el derecho a seguir estafando a sus trabajadores.

Finalmente ha llegado la hora para que cientos de miles de trabajadores reciban un pago justo al presentarse para trabajar en la industria de alimentos de Estados Unidos.  La decisión de la corte de hoy es una gran victoria para los trabajadores.

Para mayor información, contacte a Jill Cashen, 202-728-4797 o press@ufcw.org.

Collective Bargaining, Press Releases

Strike Ends at Lakeside Packers as Workers Win First Collective Agreement

Nov 07, 2005
BROOKS, AB (UFCW Canada) – Lakeside Packers employees have voted to ratify a first collective agreement ending their strike against the Brooks, Alberta slaughterhouse and processing facility that began on October 12.Lakeside Packers is owned by Arkansas-based Tyson Foods.

The contract was approved by a majority of the workers in a ratification vote held in Brooks, ending a bitter three-week-old strike by members of UFCW Canada Local 401 that had successfully crippled production at the plant.

The contract includes a number of significant gains including wage increases, improvements to short-term disability benefits, union security and grievance procedures, and a requirement that all new hires become members of the union.

Lakeside Packers employs about 2,300 workers and processes about 4,000 head of cattle a day. The new collective agreement had been recommended to the membership by the Lakeside Employees Bargaining Committee and lasts until 2009.

Economic Justice, Health Care, Press Releases, Retail, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values, Walmart

WAKEUPWALMART.COM LAUNCHES WAL-MART WORKERS OF AMERICA (WWOA), THE FIRST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR WAL-MART WORKERS

Nov 04, 2005

50 UNINSURED WAL-MART WORKERS WILL QUALIFY
FOR $200 HEALTH CARE GRANTS

Washington, DC – Today, WakeUpWalMart.com, America’s campaign to change Wal-Mart, officially launched the Wal-Mart Workers of America (WWOA) – the first national association for Wal-Mart workers.  WWOA is a new and exciting step to help empower Wal-Mart Workers to join together in order to improve their working conditions, their lives and change Wal-Mart into a more responsible and moral corporation. WWOA is launching a new website, www.WalMartWorkersofAmerica.com, which will offer a national clearing house of information and services for former and current Wal-Mart workers.

As part of the initial launch of the association, the WWOA will also offer 50 uninsured Wal-Mart workers the opportunity to qualify for $200 in health care money.  The health care assistance offered by the WWOA is the product of over $10,000 raised by more than 100 grassroots Halloween fundraisers held by WakeUpWalMart.com supporters last week in 84 cities and 22 states.

“Everyday 1.3 million workers help make Wal-Mart one of America’s most profitable companies, and yet, everyday it seems Wal-Mart finds new ways to exploit these hard-working Americans.  WWOA will be a powerful tool to help Wal-Mart’s workers join together to improve their lives and make Wal-Mart change for the better,” said Paul Blank, Campaign Director for WakeUpWalMart.com.

The WWOA is being founded in response to Wal-Mart’s secret memo and the company’s troubling record of exploiting its workers. Wal-Mart’s secret memo, written by Wal-Mart Executive Vice President Susan Chambers, outlines a series of shocking recommendations, including: plans to cut costs further by reducing hours; shifting from full-time to part-time workers; pushing out senior workers; and, even cutting health care costs by dissuading unhealthy or obese people from applying. In addition, Wal-Mart has a long and well-documented record of exploiting its workers, including forcing them to work off-the-clock, discriminating against female employees and breaking child labor laws.  Both the Wal-Mart Memo and its unwillingness to substantively change how it treats its workers has led to the creation of the Wal-Mart Workers of America.

The WWOA will officially launch its first membership drive today and plans to reach out to 100,000 Wal-Mart workers within the first phase of its membership drive.  Workers will be contacted through grassroots actions and through a community-based radio and print advertising campaign.

“For the first time, all Wal-Mart workers will now have the ability to join an association, to join together, to empower each other, and to build a movement for Wal-Mart to change. Working together, Wal-Mart workers can be a new and powerful force for change. Let there be no doubt, the WWOA will finally create a ‘real open door’ for change – a door Wal-Mart will never be able to close,” said Blank

Membership to WWOA is free to all former and current Wal-Mart workers who wish to join. The WWOA will provide an array of services to members including: how to qualify for health care money; a free 1-800# help hotline to provide advice and consultation about work place issues; information about class-action lawsuits affecting Wal-Mart workers; a confidential way to be a whistleblower; information and facts about their labor rights under state and federal law; how to defend themselves under America’s labor laws; a central clearing house for recent news and stories about Wal-Mart; recent actions in the grassroots campaign to change Wal-Mart; email updates on Wal-Mart and the WWOA; and quarterly newsletters.