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Constituency Groups, Economic Justice, Immigration, Legislation, Packing and Processing, Politics, Press Releases, Social Justice, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values, United Latinos

UFCW Activists Arrested at Massive Immigration March

Oct 09, 2013
The four UFCW activists arrested yesterday.

The four UFCW activists arrested yesterday.

Washington, DC—Four UFCW activists were among those arrested yesterday outside the U.S. Capitol while protesting the failure of House Republican leaders to pass comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship. The march, which included tens of thousands of people from across the country, followed over 180 similar actions in 40 states this weekend.

“Today we sent a message to House Republicans loud and clear,” UFCW President Joe Hansen said. “First and foremost, open this government. Secondly, once it is open, give us a vote on comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship.”

In an op-ed in the Huffington Post last week, Hansen laid out the case for reform. “We want to give aspiring citizens an opportunity to achieve the American Dream,” he said. “We want full rights and protections for immigrant workers. We want fairness and justice. We want an immigration policy that reflects our values. Speaker Boehner, we want a vote.”

The UFCW activists who were arrested spoke about the power of civil disobedience and the importance of standing together for comprehensive immigration reform.

Efrain Aguilera of UFCW Local 5 in San Jose, CA said: “I’m a Hispanic born in Michoacán, Mexico who came to this country legally but without knowing a word of English. The immigrant community has to struggle to find work and when it does, they face humiliation because of being undocumented and live in fear of being deported and separated from their families. Getting arrested for civil disobedience is the least I can do to support this great cause. We need comprehensive immigration reform now so that more than 11 million undocumented immigrants can get out of the shadows, work legally, pay taxes and stop being treated like second class citizens.”

Rigo Valdez of UFCW Local 770 in Los Angeles, CA said: “I was arrested today to stand up for the workers who cannot stand up for themselves. In twenty years of organizing, I have witnessed exploitation of workers because of their immigration status. We can no longer allow the abuse of any workers in our country, and must fight and demand that all of us are treated with dignity and according to our rights. Comprehensive immigration reform is not only morally right, but necessary to guarantee the long term economic and social health of our nation. If our lawmakers will not act, then we will.”

Celestino Rivera of UFCW Local 540 in Dallas, TX said: “I was arrested today because I stand with America’s meatpacking and food processing workers to demand that Congress fix our broken immigration system. I have witnessed the price of keeping working families in the shadows.  All workers should be able to exercise their fundamental rights on the job, regardless of immigration status. Now is the time for reform that preserves and protects these rights.”

Idalid Guerrero of UFCW Local 540 in Dallas, TX said: “I came to Washington today as both a worker and a mother. I know firsthand that women bear a huge burden because of our broken immigration system. We deserve reform that is humane and just and keeps families together. I was arrested in solidarity with all immigrant women who are calling on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform now.”

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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, visit www.ufcw.org, or join our online community at www.facebook.com/UFCWinternational and www.twitter.com/ufcw.

 

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.

Economic Justice, Legislation, Politics, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values

UFCW Locals Help Push California’s Minimum Wage to Highest in the Nation

Sep 27, 2013

CA Min WageEarlier this month, with support from UFCW locals across the Golden State, California’s legislature voted to increase the state’s minimum wage to $10 per hour.

This week, California Governor Jerry Brown signed the bill into law. This means that California will soon have the highest minimum wage in the country.

California’s minimum wage had been stuck at $8 since 2008.

Had California’s 1968 minimum wage been indexed to inflation, it would now be $11.08.

UFCW locals in California saw that an increase was long overdue so they stepped up and took action.

This isn’t the first time UFCW’s California locals have helped to secure a minimum wage increase. They were also recently involved with passing living wage ordinances in San Jose and Long Beach.

Securing a wage increase for the entire state of California was a much greater undertaking though and required a concerted effort by all of UFCW’s California locals.

To help give the bill the aggressive push it deserved, five lobby days were held at the State Capitol in Sacramento. This gave UFCW members the opportunity to appeal directly to State Senators, Assemblymembers, and the Governor about how raising the minimum wage would impact their lives.

As the minimum wage bill headed towards passage, UFCW members willed it over the finish line by making direct phone calls to uncommitted legislators.

At the signing of the bill, Governor Brown’s remarks made it clear he heard their message loud and clear.

“Our society is experiencing a growing gap between those at the top and those at the
Raising California’s minimum wage was a great effort and a great success. More than 2.3 million California workers will be affected by the wage increase. It will go a long ways towards ensuring hard work provides both dignity and a livable wage. bottom,” he said. “Our social fabric is being ripped apart. Today, we sew that fabric a little tighter together, as we raise the wages of those who labor at the bottom.”