October, 2013

Retail, Walmart

As the Holidays Approach, OUR Walmart Members Prepare for Black Friday Actions

Oct 04, 2013

BF2013Over the last year, Walmart workers and members of the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart) have called on the retail giant to stop its practice of retaliating against workers who are simply exercising their right to speak out for a better life and improved working conditions.  Their calls for change have been met with Walmart’s extreme response of firing and disciplining workers who speak out for positive changes in the workplace—leading many to seriously question the company’s relationship with workers throughout its supply chain.

Leading up to the holidays, members of OUR Walmart and community supporters will continue to call on the company to publicly commit to raising wages and increasing access to full-time hours so that no worker at Walmart makes less than $25,000 per year. Members of OUR Walmart are also calling for the rescission of all illegal firings and/or disciplinary actions against more than 70 workers who participated in a legally protected unfair labor practice strike in Bentonville, Arkansas, earlier this summer.

Friday, November 29—also known as Black Friday—is the most important day of the year for retailers like Walmart, and OUR Walmart members have announced widespread protests leading up to and on Black Friday this year. As Black Friday approaches, please commit to supporting OUR Walmart members as they take action this holiday shopping season by signing the petition pledging to join Walmart workers this year in their calls for change at http://action.changewalmart.org/page/s/black-friday-pledge.

Collective Bargaining, Economic Justice, Retail Food, Safeway, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values

Grocery workers at UFCW Locals 21 and 367 Send Strong Message to Companies with Strike Vote

Oct 02, 2013
UFCW Locals 21, 367 and Teamsters Local 38 grocery workers sent a strong message to the grocery chains by overwhelmingly voting to authorize a strike.

UFCW Locals 21, 367 and Teamsters Local 38 grocery workers sent a strong message to the grocery chains by overwhelmingly voting to authorize a strike.

UFCW Locals 21, 367, and Teamsters Local 38 sent a strong message of solidarity to Fred Meyer, Safeway, QFC, and Albertsons last week when they voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. The 98 percent strike authorization vote is the workers’ latest step in their fight for fair treatment, pay, and benefits. Contract negotiations will continue on October 10 and 11. Workers say they expect the chains to now come to the table with a set of serious proposals.

“We hope the employers come to their senses and make a fair proposal that respects me and my co-workers and our families. But if they force us to strike, we are ready,” said Jessica Roach, a UFCW Local 367 Fred Meyer worker.

Workers have been in contract negotiations since March. Despite more than 12 bargaining sessions and a first round of informational pickets in July, Fred Meyer, Safeway, QFC, and Albertsons  have continued to stick to proposals that would stop providing healthcare coverage for employees working fewer than 30 hours a week, deny workers paid sick days, and cut pay – including for those who work on holidays.

More information and updates on the strike vote and bargaining situation at Fred Meyer, Safeway, QFC, and Albertsons can be viewed at http://www.ufcw21.org/

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Constituency Groups, Immigration, Legislation, Packing and Processing, Politics, Social Justice, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values, United Latinos, War on Workers

President Hansen in HuffPo Op-Ed: “We Demand Reform that Protects the Rights of Immigrants”

Oct 01, 2013

Oct5_Wave_EnglishJoe Hansen, International President of the UFCW has written an op-ed for the Huffington Post. In it, he poses a very important question to House Republicans and Speaker Boehner: are they going to continue to criminalize undocumented immigrants, causing families to be torn apart and workers to be taken advantage of, or are they going to do what’s right and provide a path to citizenship? President Hansen points out that Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI) has even said that “We want to give people an ability to come out of the shadows and get themselves right with the law.”

President Hansen says its time for Speaker Boenher to stop letting extremists dictate the actions of the House.  Calling out an “increasingly radical caucus”, President Hansen urges that the outcome of a vote for comprehensive immigration reform should differ from the House’s recent poor decisions on our nation’s budget and social safety net.

The UFCW has been very active in the fight for reform, and has worked hard to help secure votes in the Senate and House. Our members have seen to much destruction from the current, failing immigration system, time and time again.

So, as Joe notes in his op-ed, “they went to town hall meetings, participated in marches and rallies, and visited Congressional offices to create the momentum for comprehensive immigration reform.” All of this hard work paid off in June, when the Senate passed legislation on a strong bipartisan vote, but the House refuses to follow suit. Together with our allies, we must keep up the pressure.

Thanks to this pressure, 26 House Republicans have now announced their support for legislation that will protect the rights of immigrants, keep families together, and gives aspiring Americans the opportunity to become citizens.

“Now it is time for John Boehner to show the guts,” says President Hansen.

UFCW members will be taking part in the rallies happening nationwide on October 5th, to demand a vote for comprehensive immigration reform now.

Read all of what President Hansen has to say in his op-ed here.