Legislative and Political Action Department

In all phases of the legislative and political process and at all levels of government, the Legislative and Political Action Department works to advance and protect the interests of UFCW members, their families, and their communities. To that end, the department mobilizes UFCW member support around public policy issues that reinforce bargaining table gains, as well as those that provide opportunities for all working families to improve their lives. This political engagement—on the issues and in the electoral process—strives to establish a worker agenda in the halls of government and hold representatives accountable on the issues.

Through detailed policy statements, issue papers, congressional testimony, and grassroots communications, the department makes the voice of UFCW members heard. The department communicates the message of the UFCW and its members to Capitol Hill through conference calls, blast faxes, e-mails, and other web-based communications. UFCW members have also visited the Capitol on numerous occasions, to rally, lobby, and buttonhole legislators. But most importantly, the department helps members contact and lobby elected officials in their home districts. The department ensures that representatives know UFCW members and their issues by promoting workplace visits and direct one-to-one contact between members and their elected representatives.

As North America’s Neighborhood Union, the UFCW mobilizes around national, state and local politics to effectively influence America’s discourse on worker concerns.