June, 2013

Social Justice, UFCW Values

Tell the Turkish Government: Violence Against Peaceful Protesters is Unacceptable

Jun 21, 2013

Demonstrators fill Taksim Square in Istabul. Photo source: BBC

Over the past few weeks, Turkish citizens have taken to the streets of Istanbul, Ankara, and other major cities to peacefully exercise their right to freedom of assembly and expression. The non-violent protests have been met with brutal and unnecessary violence at the hands of the Turkish government forces. At least four innocent protestors have been killed, and many others injured, at demonstration sites that have turned into battlefields.

In solidarity with the International Union of Food, Agricultural , Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF), which represents millions of workers throughout the world, including trade unions of Turkey organized in food, hotel and agriculture sectors, UFCW President Joe Hansen has written to Turkey’s Prime Minister to put an end to the outrageous acts of violence, and the wrongful imprisonment of thousands of people.

In the letter, President Hansen recounts more government violence against Turkish demonstrators from earlier this year, and notes how democracy is being upheld:

We remain concerned that your Government engages in such repression as a regular practice based on earlier episodes. Still fresh in our minds is this year’s May Day Celebrations, which were supposed to take place in Taksim Square in Istanbul. They turned to bloodshed after attacks on demonstrators by security forces using tear gas and other unacceptable police action.

Such brutality is unacceptable …

Rather than continuing repression and anti-democratic measures, the underlying reasons for the demonstrations should be recognized. Since the 2011 elections authoritarian actions by your governance have increased. This included legal and illegal denial of fundamental trade union rights, adoption of laws that discourage rather than encourage the exercise of those rights, inaction, at best, against employers who deny workers’ fundamental rights, abuses in the judiciary system, prevention of de facto application of legal strikes, and violence against trade unionists coupled with limits on freedom of assembly and expression. These constitute attacks on fundamental human rights and democracy.

President Hansen calls for all the legal and practical barriers against the exercise of trade union rights to be removed and the right to strike is respected and KESK trade unionists, detained journalists and all others unjustly held for legitimate acts of protests and opposition to be released immediately.

You can take action too! Here’s how:

  • go here, where you can download a model letter and campaign banner to send to Turkish embassies and consulates near you
  • send a message to the Turkish government through Labourstart.

Retail, UFCW Industries

Raising Wages = Raising Standards for Retail Workers

Jun 20, 2013

NYmembers-18The retail industry has been a major player in the recent jobs reports.  According to the Department of Labor, the retail sector added 28,000 jobs to the economy in May—building on the average of 20,000 new jobs per month over the prior 12 months.  For the millions of retail workers in this sector, this would be good news if these jobs came with decent wages and benefits that can support a family. But too many of them don’t.

Although the retail sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country, many retail workers are struggling to survive in low-wage jobs with inconsistent hours and few benefits. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers in the retail industry typically make about $25,000 per year—a far cry from the nation’s average annual pay of $45,790.

Academic studies, including last year’s report by Demos, provide quantitative evidence that retailers, workers and the U.S. economy can benefit if retail companies invest in their workforce.  According to the Demos report, raising wages for full-time retail workers at the nation’s largest retail companies (those employing at least 1,000 workers) would result in improving the lives of more than 1.5 million retail workers and their families who are currently living in or hovering above poverty.

The retail sector has an enormous influence on the standard of living for millions of Americans and our country’s economic outlook. It’s time for the leaders in this sector to step up and make sure that these jobs are good jobs with benefits that can support a family.

Politics, UFCW Values

Summer of Uncertainty for NLRB

Jun 20, 2013

Reposted from ufcwaction.org:

NLRB-rulings“For the first time in (its) history there is a possibility of no board.” Those words were spoken last week by Acting General Counsel Lafe Solomon, the top prosecutor and investigator at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

President Obama has nominated five well-qualified candidates to the NLRB and Senate Republicans are threatening a filibuster to prevent any of the candidates from being confirmed.

To put it plainly, a sizeable group of Senate Republicans are actively attempting to shut down the NLRB.

How did we get here?

Over 75 years ago, Congress enacted the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), guaranteeing American workers the right to form and join a union so that they may bargain for a better life. The law provides essential protections for both union and non-union workers. It gives workers the right to stick together and speak up for fair wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions. These rights ensure that people who do the real work in this country see the benefits when our economy grows.

The NLRB is the guardian of these rights. Workers themselves cannot enforce the NLRA – the NLRB is the only place workers can go if they have been treated unfairly and denied basic protections that the law provides.

Over the past decade, the Board has secured reinstatement for 22,544 employees who were unfairly fired and recovered more than $1 billion on behalf of workers whose rights were violated. They’ve also helped numerous businesses resolve disputes efficiently.

In that same decade, the Board has never once had a full slate of five Senate-confirmed members.

In 2011, when the NLRB needed new Board members to satisfy its quorum requirements (three of five spots must be filled), numerous Senate Republicans announced their intention to block any nomination to the NLRB, effectively causing the NLRB to cease functioning. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina summed up the intent of this obstruction saying, “The NLRB as inoperable could be considered progress.”

President Obama had no choice but to make recess appointments to the NLRB in January 2012. These recess appointments ensured that the NLRB would continue functioning, but have spent the year under a shadow of legal scrutiny.

This summer, the NLRB will once again face the very real threat of losing its quorum. NLRB member and Chairman Mark Gaston Pearce’s term will expire in August – crippling the board’s ability to decide hundreds of cases that come before it each year.

It’s time for the uncertainty surrounding the NLRB to end. Filibustering to prevent the NLRB from having a full quorum and being able to function has real consequences for real people.

The NLRB is simply doing its job. It’s time for the Senate to rise above petty politics and do its job of having an up or down vote on President Obama’s NLRB nominees.