June, 2012

In the fight for comprehensive immigration reform, there was a huge breakthrough today as the Obama administration announced it will stop deporting undocumented youth who entered the United States as long as they pose no security threat, have a clean criminal record, and demonstrate a commitment to the United States through either military service or successful academic performance. UFCW President Joe Hansen issued the following statement in response to the announcement:

“President Obama today made an important investment in the American dream for thousands of hard-working immigrant students and veterans by removing the threat of deportation and creating a clear path to full civic and economic participation for promising young people.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of high performing children of immigrants who were raised in the United States—including honor roll students, star athletes, and aspiring teachers, doctors, lawyers and U.S. soldiers—graduate from high school. Despite their academic achievements, they have been effectively barred from contributing fully to our communities. Today, thanks to President Obama’s bold leadership, the threat of deportation has been lifted for those aspiring American dreamers.

President Obama is embracing these promising students and soldiers who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work and a strong desire to be upstanding members of our society.

The UFCW, the voice for workers in the food and retail industries, is proud of the thousands of young immigrant activists who have organized into one strong, clear voice for fairness. They are weaving the unique fabric of American society – hard work, entrepreneurship, loyalty to country, ingenuity and invention. We are proud to stand with them, and with President Obama, as we work together to bring hope and a brighter future for every worker in our country.”

Instead of spending taxpayer money shuttling non-violent, promising young people out of our borders, hopefully that money will now be better spent on things like going after greedy companies who believe themselves to be above labor laws.

In a big step for working families, workers at the Russellville, Alabama Pilgrim’s Pride plant have voted to unionize. The vote, which took place early this month, was 706 in favor and 292 against joining RWDSU. The landslide win says it all- workers need a voice in the workplace.

                                        Pilgrim’s Pride workers sticking together

JBS, which owns Pilgrim’s Pride, is the largest producer of chicken, which is one of the state’s largest industries, in the country. This election marks one of the largest successes for union organizing campaigns in the state, and proves that when workers stick together, they are strong enough to take on even the biggest corporations. In a time when some are saying that the days of unions are numbered, this is uplifting news.

If anything though, this victory should urge workers to continue pushing for what’s right. The Alabama Pilgrim’s Pride workers went up against a great deal of threats from management including massive layoffs, and even plant closure, if they were to vote to unionize. Anti-union literature and “vote-no” t-shirts were handed out at meetings. Even worse however, were the company’s attempts to pressure local businesses to take part in the unfair treatment- like barring union activists from coming inside service stations. They even went as far as booking meeting rooms at local hotels so union staff couldn’t use them prior to the election.

It is saddening how much effort companies like this are willing to put into keeping workers down. With the union on the workers’ side, they are simply protecting the right to stick together. Plant workers deserve to be able to redress grievances at work, and have a chance to give their input about how the place is run. Now, all of that is possible.

We hope this election serves as inspiration to the countless others who are striving to ensure that working families in America are heard.