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.

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.

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.”

D.C. residents from neighborhoods throughout the city took their calls for fair wages and good jobs to the D.C. City Council today in light of the override vote of Mayor Gray’s veto of the LRAA. The bill has been recognized by local residents, Council Members, policy experts, and economists as a bill that would help improve jobs and bolster the local economy.

At noon on Tuesday, hundreds of people – including OUR Walmart, UFCW Local 400, AFL-CIO, OUR DC, DC Jobs with Justice, and other community supporters rallied for an override. The rally came as Walmart workers in the D.C. area and nationwide have increased their calls to improve jobs at the country’s largest employer. Last week, 100 workers and supporters were arrested when refusing to end their calls for better jobs at Walmart.

On Tuesday, the D.C. City Council failed to override Mayor Gray’s veto of the LRAA. The bill faced fierce opposition from the world’s largest retailer, Walmart, which threatened to cancel three of six stores planned for D.C. if the LRAA was passed. The threat was made despite the fact Walmart had promised residents and elected officials it would pay a wage of $13 an hour to workers if the stores were approved.

Despite falling short of success, the wage ordinance has boosted living wage efforts across the country.

Less than a week ago, the California Legislature approved raising the state’s minimum wage from $8 an hour to $10 by 2016. This fall, New Jersey voters will vote on a referendum that would raise their state’s minimum wage to $8.25 an hour. And the Minnesota Legislature is moving toward passage of its own minimum wage increase.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, if the federal minimum wage had kept pace with the cost of living over the past 40 years, it would be $10.74 an hour today, not $7.25

A report from the national public policy center Demos shows that better jobs at Walmart and other large retailers would help the store’s bottom line, as well as have an impact on individual families and the larger economy. A wage floor equivalent of $25,000 per year for a full-time, year-round employee for retailers with more than 1000 employees would lift 1.5 million retail workers and their families out of poverty, add to economic growth, increase retail sales and create more than 100,000 new jobs. The Demos report can be found at http://bit.ly/QRHf0m.

New polling shows that voters overwhelmingly supported the LRAA.  Seventy-one percent of voters voiced their support in a survey conducted last weekend, with large majorities saying the bill would have positive effects not only on workers’ wages, but also on jobs, employment and the local economy. Additionally, 63 percent of voters said that they would be more likely to support a mayoral candidate in 2014 who supported the LRAA.

The survey of D.C. voters on the LRAA can be viewed here and you can access results by clicking here.

Gray’s veto comes just two days after the Fair Political Practices Commission in California announced that it would be investigating whether Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson had a conflict of interest in a vote on a big box bill due to charitable donations he solicited from Walmart and the Walton Foundation.

Kimberly Mitchell, a Macy’s employee and lifelong Ward 7 resident:

“I am incredibly upset, disappointed, and angry that Mayor Gray has decided to stand with Walmart and other large corporations instead of with the residents of this city. Mayor Gray has made is clear who he stands with and it’s not with me, my neighbors or the residents of DC. We are now counting on the City Council to do the right thing, stand up with DC residents, and override this veto.”

“Mayor Gray had the opportunity to stand up for the residents of this city, but instead he allowed large, out of town companies, like Walmart, to threaten him and ultimately dictate the policies of our city. By vetoing this bill he has further eroded the ability of DC residents and workers to earn enough money to take care of themselves and their families while remaining in the city.”

Reverend Graylan Hagler, of Plymouth United Congregational Church of Christ and Faith Strategies:

“Unfortunately, the Mayor’s decision is hardly surprising because this is exactly what Walmart’s lobbyists said would happen.  The Mayor’s office and Walmart have been working together to defeat this bill from the start.”

“If we cannot demand higher wages and good jobs from the nation’s and world’s largest corporations DC will not be able to remain a diverse and vibrant city. We strongly urge the city council to override this misguided veto.”

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UFCW members from across the country will continue to reach out to their Representatives about passing comprehensive immigration reform.

As Congress begins their August recess, UFCW International and local unions across the country are focused on keeping the legislative push for comprehensive immigration reform alive and strong. This is a key moment in the immigration debate. UFCW local unions and members across the country have plans to do everything they can this August to ensure their members of Congress return to the Capitol building in September ready and willing to act on a comprehensive immigration reform bill that reflects UFCW values.

Earlier in the summer, UFCW members successfully lobbied their Senators to pass a bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform bill that includes a road-map to citizenship. This summer, they intend to convince the House to do the same. While House members spend the month of August at home in their districts, they will hear from UFCW members at town-hall meetings and other events about the importance of passing an immigration bill that makes sense for workers. The UFCW is pushing to create a common sense immigration process that recognizes the hardships and contributions of people moving here, keeps families together, and creates a road-map to citizenship for new Americans who aspire to be citizens.

Adapted from Making Change at Walmart

Last week, Washington D.C.’s City Council voted 8-5 to approve a living wage bill despite threats by Walmart. The bill requires large retailers in the District, like Walmart, to pay their employees no less than $12.50 an hour.

While the bill enjoyed the support of a majority of the members and many district residents, Walmart threatened at the last minute to cancel the construction of three stores slated to open in the District if the bill became law. Interestingly, the company made this threat after publicly stating that it would pay District Walmart employees $13 an hour if the stores were approved to be built.

While many are shocked by Walmart’s clear hypocritical stance, groups like OUR Walmart and Making Change at Walmart have shown that Walmart is a company that likes to say one thing but do another. Walmart has a history of making promises but then reneging.

Not only are Walmart’s promises empty, but when they are held to their commitments they threaten the communities who hold them accountable. Walmart comes into communities, says one thing and does another. If they don’t get their way they threaten and bully communities the same way they bully their workers. Walmart proclaims to embody and promote American values, but when those values become inconvenient to their bottom-line they do everything in their power, including firing workers and reneging on promises, to get their way.

The DC Council sent a powerful message to not only Walmart but to companies that choose to do business in the city: you must fulfill your promise and treat DC residents with dignity and respect, while paying them a wage that allows them to care for their family. The living wage bill comes at a time when a family of four living in D.C. needs over $88K a year just to get by, according to a recent study.

With so much at stake, D.C. workers need your help to make sure the bill gets finalized. Please click here and send an email to D.C.’s Mayor Gray, asking him not to veto the bill.

Lobbying efforts and political mobilization by members of UFCW Locals 23 and 1776 helped stop liquor privatization in P.A.

Over the past two and a half years, UFCW Locals 23 and 1776 in Pennsylvania have been fighting back against efforts to privatize state liquor stores. This past week, both locals were able to secure a victory when the Pennsylvania Senate failed to move the liquor privatization bill forward. This means that over 3,500 UFCW members will keep their jobs.

According to Wendell Young, President of UFCW Local 1776, success was due in large part to coordination across both locals and other groups within Pennsylvania.

“Everyone acted in unison. It was a great effort with Local 23. We absolutely worked as one unit on this. This was the largest member mobilization ever. The ability for everyone to become easily and actively involved was the key to success. If there was one thing that made the difference, it’s our members. They were our greatest strength.”

UFCW members lobbied at the Capitol in Harrisburg every single day during the session. Some often drove hours across Pennsylvania, arriving with spouses, children, and neighbors to help convince legislators that liquor privatization was the wrong direction for the commonwealth.

UFCW Local 1776 member Rob Peters, a Wine Specialist and Shop Steward in the Ardmore, Pa., PA Wine & Spirits store said, “Our stores generate more than $700 million a year for the state treasury. UFCW members keep alcohol out of the hands of minors and visibly intoxicated people. We take pride in our jobs.”

In addition to lobbying, members from UFCW Locals 23 and 1776 wrote letters to the editor, called in to TV shows, and held multiple strategy sessions every week. All of this helped to educate and re-educate members about the issue and guarantee that the debate stayed visible to the public.

To help financially support their campaign, members donated an extra $5 per paycheck to help put together a multi-million dollar fund. This went towards producing advertisements and hiring lobbyists to help make their case to state legislators.

As the session came to a close last week, the effort to privatize the liquor industry faced bipartisan opposition. The ability for the UFCW to gain support from both Democrats and Republicans underscored the success and effectiveness of their messaging and mobilization campaign.

Liquor privatization efforts are expected to resume in the fall legislative session but members are ready and optimistic to continue the fight.

“Employer responsibility has been a cornerstone principle of the UFCW’s health care reform position for decades.  The Administration’s announcement is disconcerting as it releases employers from the financial penalty from cutting its workers’ health insurance.

“The Administration’s decision to delay employer health care requirements appears to be a significant hand-out to employers.

“However, the fact that the Administration appears open to changing the rules encourages us to continue to advocate on behalf of Taft-Hartley health care plans that provide affordable, quality insurance to tens of millions of working families.”

WASHINGTON, D.C.

“I commend the Senate for taking a major bipartisan step toward making comprehensive immigration reform the law of the land. This bill includes many of the UFCW’s principles including a roadmap to citizenship for those already here, strong labor protections for immigrant workers, and a modernized system for allocating employment-based visas based on hard data, not politics.

“For decades, the UFCW has been a staunch advocate for fixing a flawed immigration system that punishes working men and women, tears families apart, and fails workers, families, communities and businesses alike.  We have been proud to be part of a national movement that has led the way in changing the narrative–so that at this point in time a majority of Americans support comprehensive immigration reform.

“Let me be clear. This is a compromise bill. The ‘border surge’ provision added earlier this week is bad public policy at a high price and the UFCW will do everything in its power to mitigate its impact while making clear no further concessions are acceptable. But we cannot allow the perfect to be the enemy of the good. Senate passage of comprehensive immigration reform with a road map to citizenship sends a clear message that America will no longer penalize aspiring citizens just for trying to make a better life for themselves and their families. It is now time for the House to finish the job.”

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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.

The D.C. Council gave its initial approval to a bill, called The Large Retailer Accountability Act, that would raise the minimum wage of workers at large retail stores from the D.C.’s current minimum of $8.25 an hour to $12.50–a rate that would significantly improve the quality of life for many employees. The 8-5 vote came after a nearly hour-long debate.

If passed, this legislation will ensure that the jobs at D.C.’s large retailers and “big box” stores will be good jobs that are enable employees to provide for themselves and their families.  The Large Retailer Accountability Act would also mean that new jobs at 6 planned Walmart’s coming to the District in the next few years will be better for Walmart associates than typically seen in their thousands of other locations across the country.

An article from dcist quotes those who voted for the bill:

“The District government has an obligation not just to encourage the development and growth of jobs, but to encourage the development and growth of quality jobs,” D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said before the vote, according to Housing Complex. Joining Mendelson in supporting the bill were Vincent Orange (D-At Large), Anita Bonds (D-At Large), David Grosso (I-At Large), Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Kenyan MacDuffie (D-Ward 5), and Marion Barry (D-Ward 8).”

The next step for the bill is to go through a second vote at the Council’s July 10 legislative session.

source: The Daily Beast

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday the UFCW released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision striking down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act.

“Over the past two years, 34 states have implemented or introduced laws designed to disenfranchise American voters. Yet the Supreme Court today made the incomprehensible decision to gut the Voting Rights Act. The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy and we should be making access to the ballot easier, not harder. Congress must remedy this disastrous decision by swiftly passing legislation to restore and strengthen the Voting Rights Act.”

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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. 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.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Today the Supreme Court put DOMA in the trash bin of history with separate but equal and other discriminatory laws. The Defense of Marriage Act actually defended nothing at all. Instead it was a direct assault on married same-sex couples who were denied more than 1,100 federal benefits and protections by the government’s refusal to recognize their relationship. The UFCW strongly supports full equality for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. That means equal rights in employment, immigration, and yes—marriage. The momentum for marriage equality is growing every day. The Supreme Court today restored it in California, Minnesota recently became the 12th state to recognize same-sex unions, and more are on the way. It is not a matter of if but when all Americans will have the freedom to marry. The UFCW looks forward to that day.”

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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. 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.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The 1.3 million member United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) today threw its support behind H.R. 2311—the Worker Anti-Retaliation Act—which would penalize large employers for illegally targeting workers for trying to improve their job conditions.

Earlier this month, Walmart workers went on strike nationwide and caravanned to the company’s shareholder meeting in Arkansas to call for an end to retaliation. In response, Walmart last week illegally fired nearly a dozen strikers and disciplined others without cause. This comes on the heels of a report released by American Rights at Work that details Walmart’s extensive and systematic efforts to silence associates who are speaking out for better jobs.

The Worker Anti-Retaliation Act—authored by Congressman Alan Grayson (D-FL)—would expressly prohibit this type of retaliation against workers and give victims the right to back pay, damages, and other civil penalties.

“Walmart is reinventing labor retaliation in today’s economy, the latest chapter in the retail giant’s appalling record on workers’ rights,” UFCW International President Joe Hansen said. “Congressman Grayson’s bill would protect workers from targeting and send a message to all employers that this type of behavior will not be tolerated.”

“This legislation provides necessary protections to low-wage workers, particularly those employed by Walmart, one of the nation’s largest retailers,” Grayson said. “My bill will protect workers from retaliation by their employers, and provide victims of retaliatory actions with legal relief. Employees of Walmart have little control over their working conditions. They are not unionized, and Walmart has used every trick in the book to prevent them from protesting dismal working conditions and unfair treatment. In fact, Walmart recently fired one of my constituents, who dared to speak out against Walmart’s employment practices. It’s time to put an end to Walmart’s abhorrent mistreatment of its employees—and let workers know that their rights to organize and protest will be protected.”

Grayson’s constituent, Vanessa Ferriera, worked at Walmart for 8 years, until she was fired in May. Ferriera was frustrated with the inability of Walmart to provide the wages and benefits she needed to support her family. So she stood up and spoke out about her concerns. She started meeting with her fellow associates—as part of the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OUR Walmart)— to assist in the effort to get Walmart to publicly commit to improving labor standards. Rather than responding to the valid concerns of Ferriera and others, Walmart management began targeting her for speaking out. She was unfairly disciplined for minor errors and interrogated by management whenever she participated in concerted activities with other associates. Walmart claims to have fired Ferriera for taking “extended breaks” but never provided any documentation or evidence of its claim.

Ferriera’s story is the tip of the iceberg. All across the country, unscrupulous employers are actively squashing and suppressing workers who are collectively seeking improvements in their workplaces. These aggressive and unlawful efforts must be stopped and the Worker Anti-Retaliation Act would put in place the safeguards to do so.

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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.

Already, the SNAP program denies eligibility to 50 million “food insecure households”.  But now, proposed changes to the Farm Bill would strip access to the program from an additional 2 million families.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and the other congress members participating in the SNAP challenge are addressing this alarming issue by attempting to live off of less than $4.50 a day.

On Wednesday, the challenge participants stopped at a Washington D.C. Safeway, where Local 400 members work, to buy a week’s worth of groceries for about $30.  In order to keep to the strict budget of the food stamp program, staples like milk and butter were out of the question.  Representative Lee described the difficulty of the trip in an online blog:

“What I’m thinking about most during this trip is that I’m shopping only for myself.  When I was a young, single mother, I was on public assistance. It was a bridge over troubled water, and without it, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I spent hours debating what to buy and what to skip, all the while keeping my sons in my mind.”

The proposed changes to the Farm bill will send many single parents who are in this position, into a state of utter uncertainty about how to provide food for their families.  A large portion of those affected by the cuts will be under the age of 18.

This is not the first time officials have tried the SNAP challenge, however. Newark’s mayor, Cory Booker did so earlier this year, and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton found that adhering to the food stamp budget left him feeling tired, and eventually “unable to focus”.  Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) admitted that if this was how he had to live, he would likely be a more unpleasant person, due to his state of hunger. He also lost six pounds in just four days.

The conservatives who claim food stamp programs create dependency on government don’t know what its like to go hungry. Some may joke about those who must rely on government programs, but the reality is that many hard-working people cannot make ends meet without them.

UFCW Local 400 President Mark Federici made a statement following the group’s visit to Safeway this week, commending the challenge participants:

“Year in and year out, the SNAP/Food Stamp program proves itself an unqualified success in reducing hunger, alleviating poverty and stimulating the economy. That’s why we are deeply dismayed that the Senate version of the Farm Bill re-authorization cuts SNAP benefits for approximately 500,000 households, and outraged that the House version of the legislation would completely eliminate benefits for two million low-income families. This would be bad enough under any circumstances, but it’s even worse coming at a time when far too many Americans are unemployed and our economic recovery is still shaky.

“The SNAP/Food Stamp Challenge is a critical way for elected officials and other leaders to experience first-hand how hard it is to feed a family on a SNAP budget, and to understand why benefits should be increased, rather than cut. We applaud all the members of Congress who are joining the challenge this week, and we are especially proud that they chose to purchase their groceries at a union shop. They understand that shopping union gets you the most value for your grocery dollar and the best customer service in the industry.

“Local 400 is privileged to join with these members of Congress in educating the public about the persistence of hunger in America and urging lawmakers to restore full funding to the SNAP/Food Stamp program in the Farm Bill.

“We also remind policy makers that the best way to reduce SNAP expenditures is to shop union, and to restore to workers their right to choose collective bargaining. The rise of low-wage employers like Walmart is a big reason why the SNAP program has grown in recent years, because the workers earn so little, they need Food Stamps to feed their families. By contrast, the more workers with union contracts, the fewer workers will need SNAP or any other type of federal assistance. That’s a win-win solution for everybody, because it lowers poverty, eases hunger, bolsters the economy, and improves government balance sheets.”

UFCW Locals 876 and 951 travel to Lansing to lobby for an increase in minimum wage.

UFCW Michigan members recently gathered at the State Capitol in Lansing to lobby their state legislators about increasing the minimum wage.

More than 100 members from UFCW Locals 876 and 951 participated in UFCW Michigan’s seventh annual Lobby Day.  Members met with legislators and staff in support of SB 203 and HB 4554 which would raise Michigan’s minimum wage in stages to reach $10 an hour by 2016.

Raising the minimum wage would provide all Michigan families the opportunity for a better life and economic security, build stronger communities, and ensure no one who works full time lives in poverty.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Anytime House Republicans talk about flexibility, working families should reach for their wallets. H.R. 1406 is just the latest scheme in the war on workers. It would have employees working unpaid overtime hours in exchange for accruing time off that can only be used when an employer sees fit. That is not flexibility—it is just unfair. This bill is an affront to the basic concept that a day’s work deserves a day’s wages paid in currency. It gives employers a clear incentive to push workers toward comp time instead of overtime pay. This creates a scenario where workers will find themselves in the awkward position of choosing between their employer’s wishes and their own need for a higher paycheck. If House Republicans are truly interested in improving the lives of hourly workers, they should start with raising the minimum wage, guaranteeing paid sick days, and passing the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights.”

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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.

WASHINGTON, DC

“We write in support of the comprehensive immigration reform process and thank you for your critical and constructive efforts in support of this legislation,” says the letter signed by UFCW International President Joe Hansen and Barry Carpenter of FMIC.

The labor-business coalition said they support the Senate bill’s provisions to establish a roadmap to citizenship, protect family based immigration, promote smart, effective border enforcement, implement a workable, transparent employment verification system, and create an occupational visa for non-seasonal, permanent positions. However, Hansen and Carpenter are also calling for commonsense improvements to S. 744 in the areas of visa allocation and employment verification.

The labor-business coalition asked for more flexibility when it comes to employment verification. “Allowing employers to use Self-Check in a uniform, nondiscriminatory fashion will create greater transparency for new employees, and will enable employers to ensure that their new hires are not circumventing E-Verify,” the letter reads.

Moreover, the letter outlined: “If an employer takes the extra step of deterring identity theft through the uniform use of Self-Check, then the employer should be presumed to have acted in ‘good faith’ with respect to the E-Verify confirmations it receives.”

Finally, the labor-business coalition requested that Senators direct the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Justice to create regulations that would provide specific rules of the road “describing a course of conduct…that satisfies employment verification requirements and concurrently avoids anti-discrimination liability.” “If an employer follows these regulations, then the employer is presumed to have complied with both the verification and anti-discrimination rules,” the letter reads.

The labor-business coalition said they look forward to working with the Senate to improve S.744 and seeing comprehensive immigration reform become the law of the land.

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(Source: Huffington Post) Republican House majority leader Eric Cantor

Republican House Majority leader Eric Cantor is spearheading a bill that has the potential to deny low-wage workers of their overtime pay. It’s being pushed by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), a lobbying firm that represents large U.S. retailers – among them Walmart and Target.

The name of the bill — The Working Families Flexibility Act – poorly masks its true effects on working families.

If this bill were to be passed, employers could offer employees who work overtime the opportunity to earn future time off rather than overtime pay (which is typically one and a half times the normal hourly wage). As Vicki Shabo, a director at the National Partnership for Women & Families points out, this bill creates an unfair situation for workers.

“Employers would essentially be getting an interest free loan from their employees. They are taking the work today and are paying by giving time off or cashing out wages at a later time, up to 13 months later.”

The bill also ignores the realities of today’s workplace. Making the decision to accrue time off or accept overtime pay may not always be solely up the individual worker. Workers are often pressured by their employers to obey instructions, without argument, or face the risk of being fired. It’s easy to consider a scenario where a worker may feel forced into accepting time off instead of increased pay for working overtime.

Even if workers were able to fairly choose between time off or increased pay, there would be no realistic guarantee that time off an employee earns could be used when they need it.

Eric Cantor’s proposal is just another attempt by House Republicans to push down wages and weaken workers so that big retailers have more power over their workforce and are able to share less profits with them as well.

Although the bill is expected to pass in the House of Representatives, it is not being seriously considered by the Senate due it’s vagueness and inability to ensure that employees would actually be free to choose between time off and additional pay.

Workers have a right to enjoy the wealth that their labor helped create. This type of legislation underscores the importance of workers sticking together and speaking up for their rights.

For full details of The Working Families Flexibility Act, click here.

The rally was attended by about 200 members. Among them was Will Flesch who said, “Right to work is wrong for Missouri. There’s already a law that says no one can be forced to join a union. It’s unnecessary and frankly, unfair. They’re just playing politics.”

UFCW Local 655 member Laura Kelley added, “A lot of voters don’t know what’s going on in Jefferson City, but when they hear what working people are facing and how wages will fall if these bills are passed, people are very concerned. Politicians should realize that constituents are paying attention.”

The rally was the latest event in an ongoing campaign by UFCW Local 655 against these measures. They are also participating in weekly canvasses, lobby visits, and other education and outreach efforts.

See what else working people in Missouri are saying about anti-worker legislation in their state here.

Members from UFCW Local 348-S rally to support the livelihoods of immigrant workers in New York.

On April 8, members of UFCW Local 348-S and allies rallied at the Homeland Security Office of Investigation in New York City. Members are fighting the Department of Homeland Security audits of work authorization records that could threaten the livelihood of immigrant workers in New York.

New York’s office of Homeland Security Investigations has announced an audit of work authorization records at 3 Guys from Brooklyn, a family-owned produce stand and grocery. The move comes on the eve of long-awaited national immigration reform legislation. UFCW Local 348-S members are calling on DHS to halt the audit until the specifics of comprehensive immigration reform are known.

The I-9 audit that DHS is pursuing examines the personnel records offered by employees when hired. If DHS agents discover workers they say are undocumented, they can fine the employer—or order him to fire workers. Thousands of these “silent raids” in recent years have led to untold numbers of workers losing their jobs and their foothold in local communities.

UFCW Local 400 members and labor allies attend a hearing on the Large Retailer Accountability Act in Washington, D.C.

UFCW Local 400 members and labor allies including Respect DC, and the DC Labor Council attended a hearing to support the Large Retailer Accountability Act.

The bill would require large retailers, those with stores over 75,000 square feet and over $1 billion in revenue, to pay the DC Living Wage and follow the First Source hiring law. It makes sure that big box retail is a better deal for D.C. by making sure residents share in the profits of the large corporations like Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowe’s that want to enter and expand in the city. A petition to support the Large Retailer Accountability Act in Washington, D.C. is available here.

By supporting and approving this bill, we hope that similar legislation will emerge in other major cities throughout the nation, bringing us another step closer to economic justice for workers.

Sponsored by Schakowsky and Representative George Miller (D-Calif.), the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights builds upon the progress of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ensures that part-time workers (defined as working less than 30 hours a week) and their families have access to critical workplace benefits.  The ACA penalizes employers who fail to provide health insurance to full-time workers, but includes no such penalties for employers who deny health coverage to part-time workers.

“As our nation’s economy relies more and more on part-time, low-wage work, policies are needed to address the widening gap of those working without a safety net for retirement, healthcare, and family leave,” said Bill Fletcher, chair of the National Retail Justice Alliance and director of field service and education at the American Federation of Government Employees. “The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights would ensure that employers provide for critical benefits for part-timers and protect the health and well-being of millions of part-time workers in retail and other service industries.”

In addition to Schakowsky and Fletcher, state legislators, economic experts and part-time workers also spoke at the hearing which took place at the Spertus Institute.

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The National Retail Justice Alliance is dedicated to raising the living and working standards of retail workers in the United States.  By working in collaboration with a broad base of opinion leaders, organizations and communities, the National Retail Justice Alliance builds support for workers in the retail industry through advocacy, education and research to promote sustainable jobs, living wages, affordable health care and fair public policies.  For more information, visit www.retailjusticealliance.org.

Currently, some members of the senate are writing an immigration bill that would severely limit access to green cards for extended family members of current American citizens. Senator Lindsay Graham, R-SC, who is part of a bipartisan senate committee for immigration reform, “indicated that he would prefer to eliminate” the current immigration clauses that allow citizens to petition for their married children and siblings to be brought to the U.S.

The UFCW, along with countless other organizations, believes that “families belong together”, no matter what their immigration status. Also, we believe that family relationships cannot be summed up by name – aunts and uncles can be just as close to someone as mothers and fathers, and cousins can be like brothers and sisters.  It is unfair that someone be denied a green card simply because their title isn’t included in the traditional nuclear family unit.

Written in the letter to Congress and President Obama, is the fact that “as of November 2012, nearly 4.3 million loved ones are waiting in the family visa backlogs.” Thousands of people from Mexico, China and other Asian countries, and elsewhere around the world have been waiting for years to be reunited with loved ones in the U.S.  Also noted, was the fact that “strengthening the current family-based immigration system is good for our economy and is commonsense policy for the United States.”  Turning away from a family-based system to focus on the economy doesn’t make sense, because, as said in the letter:

“A robust family-based immigration has significant economic benefits, especially for long-term economic growth of the United States. Family-based immigrants foster innovation and development of new businesses, particularly small and medium-sized businesses that would not otherwise exist, creating jobs for American workers and raising revenues for our recovering economy. Families also provide support and care for young children and the elderly, allowing others to focus on building the businesses and contributing to American society.”

UFCW and our allies hope that the President and Congress will uphold the family-based values that America was built on, and do what is right for working America.

“As leaders of the (UFCW) from every corner of America, we strongly support your call for comprehensive immigration reform,” the letter read. “The time to create a principled, legal immigration system that treats all immigrants with respect and dignity is right now.”

The UFCW has been a leader on immigration reform for decades. Following the raids of Swift plants in 2006, the union spearheaded a national commission to investigate whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) violated the due process rights of workers.

“Immigration is very personal to us,” said UFCW International President Joe Hansen, who joined President Obama last month in Las Vegas when he unveiled his comprehensive immigration reform plan. ”We remember the ICE raids where our members were treated like criminals. We remember the hearings that followed where we heard the stories of workers terrorized just for doing their jobs.”

“It doesn’t make sense for our country to spend billions of dollars breaking up families, harassing workers, and deporting people who are simply trying to achieve the American Dream,” Hansen continued. “2013 is the year for comprehensive immigration reform.”

The UFCW supports reform that includes a roadmap to citizenship for those already here, an effective mechanism for determining employment eligibility, smart and humane border enforcement, streamlined family reunification, and a fair process for allocating employment based visas.

“(Immigrants) work hard, pay taxes, and make our communities stronger,” the letter from UFCW leaders read. “Yet despite these important contributions, they are too often cast into the shadows. Our future success as a nation depends upon the ability of these immigrants to become full American citizens.”

In addition, over 80 UFCW leaders have signed a letter to President Obama in support of comprehensive immigration reform.

“The time to create a principled, legal immigration system that treats all immigrants with respect and dignity is right now,” the letter read.

Immigration reform rallies are being planned across the country. If you live near any of these major cities, be sure to support the cause! And if you don’t, gather a group of coworkers and friends and let political leaders in your area know that the time for immigration reform is now.

The scheduled rallies are as follows:

l  February 25: San Francisco
l February 28: Houston
l  March 6, 12, or 13: Minneapolis/St. Paul
l  March 7: Chicago
l  March 11: Phoenix
l  TBD: New York City

This loophole has driven some national employers to announce plans to reduce workers’ hours in order to avoid the penalty.  Walmart dropped part-time health coverage last year.   The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights seeks to level the playing field and protect the millions of part-time workers in retail and other service industries.

Workers are encouraged to contact their Members of Congress this week while Senators and Representatives are in their home states and districts. You can find the full text of the bill here.

The UFCW continues to use every avenue possible—whether through the regulatory process or legislation—to strengthen the ACA and protect quality, union-negotiated health benefits. The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights is a part of that effort.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research poses this question:

“Suppose the minimum wage had kept in step with productivity growth over the last 44 years. In other words, rather than just keeping purchasing power constant at the 1969 level, suppose that our lowest paid workers shared evenly in the economic growth over the intervening years.”

As the graph displays, in the past, when minimum wage was tied to productivity, workers benefited:

“This should not seem like a far-fetched idea. In the years from 1947 to 1969 the minimum wage actually did keep pace with productivity growth. (This is probably also true for the decade from when the federal minimum wage was first established in 1937 to 1947, but we don’t have good data on productivity for this period.)

As the graph shows, the minimum wage generally was increased in step with productivity over these years. This led to 170 percent increase in the real value of the minimum wage over the years from 1948 to 1968. If this pattern of wage increases for those at the bottom was supposed to stifle growth, the economy didn’t get the message. Growth averaged 4.0 percent annually from 1947 to 1969 and the unemployment rate for the year 1969 averaged less than 4.0 percent.

This changed in the 1970′s, when the real value of minimum wage declined sharply and only kept up with inflation. This major shift in policy change happened without any public debate it would seem. The Center for Economic and Policy Research notes that if “the minimum wage had kept pace with productivity growth it would be $16.54 in 2012 dollars”.

A Business Insider piece also quotes Op-Ed columnist Ezra Klein, who notes that:

“a minimum wage is like a proxy labor union; sure it may have some employment effects, but it effectively raises the wage bargaining power of those workers who do manage to find employment. In the absence of such bargaining power, we can’t expect any meaningful increase in wages at the low end of the income spectrum.” 

The article also cites a study in which found that minimum wage increases had no adverse effects on employment, and actually lead to increased employment rates among single women with children. Some date also backs the idea that reasonable wage increases affect wage hikes further up the pay scale (and also decreases the wage gap), and also provide workers with motivation to be more productive.

The fact is, raising the minimum wage would raise living standards for millions of workers who are currently living at or just above the poverty line.

As for the second argument, that $9.00 an hour still is not enough to provide a decent living for millions of working class Americans, we agree for the most part.  However, not only is $9/hour a step in the right direction, it is also good for union members, who stand to seek even greater wage increases in their contracts, if they make more than the current minimum wage of $7.25.

In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “unionized food service employees have median weekly salaries that are $100 higher than non-union workers.”

Also, although the President is pushing for a $9 minimum wage, several state governments are pushing for $10 or more, as in Maryland.

$9 an hour is not a perfect solution.  It will not raise all of America out of poverty.  However, it is certainly a great stride towards providing more Americans a platform to the middle class-  something that all of America should agree we need to rebuild in order to restore our economy. As President Obama noted in his SOTU address, no American working a full-time job should be living under the poverty line and nor should, if we can help it, anyone else.

source: www.wina.com

At UFCW, we believe that no one should be discriminated against in the workplace, regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual preference, or political affiliation.  Our union, along with many others, works hard to ensure we can all enjoy a working environment free from harassment or discrimination, and that treats everyone fairly and equally.  That is why we celebrated more than a year ago when the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was overturned.  The former policy, which required that military members not disclose or ask about sexual preference, alienated many individuals, and created a stigma surrounding homosexuality in the military.

At the time of the reversal, Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta also vowed to look into “reviewing benefits that had not previously been available to same-sex partners based on existing law and policy.” We couldn’t agree more with Panetta’s statement that “it is a matter of fundamental equity that [the military] provide similar benefits to all of those men and women in uniform who serve their country.”

This past week, Panetta announced even more good news:

“I am pleased to announce that after a thorough and deliberate review, the department will extend additional benefits to same-sex partners of service members. Taking care of our service members and honoring the sacrifices of all military families are two core values of this nation.  Extending these benefits is an appropriate next step under current law to ensure that all service members receive equal support for what they do to protect this nation.”

It is wonderful to see that the military has taken these steps on the path to equality.  However, as Panetta notes in his statement, the military cannot grant full benefits to same sex-partners because of the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal law which defines marriage as a union only between man and woman, therefore denying same sex-partners the same benefits that heterosexual unions receive.

We applaud Secretary Panetta and other leaders for their dedication to ensuring fair and just treatment of the many brave members of our United States Military.  More work has to be done now to ensure that equality is fully realized and implemented.

Although the military is not unionized, being a union member has helped ensure that countless government workers, and of course workers in other leading industries such as UFCW members in retail, retail food, and meatpacking and processing, are able to work in jobs that don’t discriminate and that offer equal treatment to all of their workers.  Standing union-strong is the best way to get to a place where workers enjoy equality and good jobs that will help them follow their dreams.

For Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta’s full statement on the extension of benefits to same-sex partnerships in the military, click here.

Washington, D.C.

“In his State of the Union Address, President Obama made it clear that raising our country’s federal minimum wage to $9.00 an hour from the current rate of $7.25 was one of his top priorities, and a recent Pew survey has found that his proposal to raise the minimum wage has wide support among the American people.

“Despite widespread public support, President Obama’s push to raise the minimum wage has been opposed by big business and House Republicans, including Speaker John Boehner, who claimed that increasing the minimum wage would hurt our economy.  While raising the minimum wage is not a perfect solution and will not lift all Americans out of poverty, a minimum wage increase would improve the standard of living for millions of American workers and give them the purchasing power that is needed to revive the economy.

“As President Obama noted in his State of the Union address, no American working a full-time job should be living under the poverty line.  The UFCW applauds President Obama’s effort to close the gap between the rich and the poor by raising the minimum wage.  The wasted economic potential of the millions of Americans who are struggling to survive in low-wage sectors is a national tragedy, and our 1.3 million member union will continue to stand with President Obama during the fight to lift American workers out of poverty and provide them with a pathway to the middle class.”

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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, http://www.ufcw.org/, or join our online community at http://www.facebook.com/ufcwinternational and https://twitter.com/UFCW.\

The annual incidence of domestic violence has decreased by more than 53 percent since VAWA became law in 1994 and reporting by victims has also increased by 51 percent. This dramatic improvement helps explain why the VAWA has been reauthorized twice since 1994 without controversy.

The latest version of the bill, which has bipartisan support in the Senate from Democrats and Republicans, broadens the law by expanding its provisions to cover Native Americans, gays, and lesbians. The bill would also give more emphasis to sexual assault prevention and take steps to reduce the rape kit backlog.

While the bill is expected to pass in the Senate with bipartisan support, House Republicans are balking at the prospect of allowing tribal courts to prosecute non-Native Americans who commit domestic and sexual violence on reservations. Perhaps they should look at the statistics.

Compared with other groups, Native American women are more likely to be raped and abused. The National Congress of American Indians released findings that showed 39 percent of American Indian and Alaska native women will experience violence by a partner in their lifetimes.

Currently, non-Native Americans who abuse their spouses often go unpunished because federal authorities don’t have the resources to pursue misdemeanors committed on reservations.

At UFCW, we have a long, proud history of standing up for fair and equal treatment of all workers both inside and outside of the workplace. Expanding the VAWA to Native Americans, gays, and lesbians isn’t just an essential step towards ensuring the domestic abuse crisis in this country is met, it’s also the right and fair thing to do.

Moderate House Republicans should call on their leadership to pass the bipartisan Senate bill as soon as they are able. Lives are depending upon this bill getting off the back burner and passing. The battered and abused don’t have time for these political games.

“I am deeply disappointed that Michigan has gone over to the dark side. Right to work is a sham that provides no new rights and no new work. It is designed for a single purpose: to give more money and power to CEOs at the expense of their workers. This is particularly poor timing for Michigan, which is in the midst of a truly remarkable comeback story, led by the resurgence of the auto industry and made possible by unsung heroes in retail and meatpacking. But make no mistake—we will use this moment to build a stronger union, ramp up communication and outreach, and help our members continue to bargain for a better life.

“The people of Michigan spoke loud and clear on Election Day, supporting pro-worker candidates like Senator Debbie Stabenow and President Obama by wide margins. But instead of listening to his constituents, Governor Snyder is bending to the big-moneyed interests behind right to work. This is truly a sad day for Michigan.”

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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, join our online community on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Post or find your local event happening in the coming weeks and for the Candlelight Campaign Against Cuts on December 10.

President Obama has sent a proposal to the Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives that will help ensure that 98 percent of American families and 97 percent of small businesses won’t have to ring in the new year with a tax increase.

If Congress fails to act on this proposal, a typical middle class family of four will see a $2,000 tax increase.  Imagine having $2,000 less to spend in 2013!  Everything from buying groceries to paying your rent or mortgage will become more difficult to afford.  It’s the absolute last thing working families need or deserve.

It’s important that the voices of working families are heard in this debate.  President Obama is asking voters everywhere to contact their members of Congress and let them know how taking away $2,000 from your income will impact you and your family.  The Twitter hashtag, #My2K, has been created to make this conversation easy to join.

Please help ensure a happy new year for all of us by making your voices heard.  Go to Twitter today and send a tweet with #My2K attached to friends, family and members of Congress.

This was UFCW President Joe Hansen’s message, summed up by a simple statement, in yesterday’s Huffington Post article, “A Clear Choice for Workers“.

President Hansen couldn’t have been more on the money.  Citing Vice President Joe Biden, who spoke to UFCW members this past Thursday, President Hansen pointed out that there has never been a clearer choice for workers in a presidential election about which candidate will stand up for them and fight for their rights alongside middle class America.

This year, a fed up and frustrated public supported tea party conservatives in several states, and once elected, these officials began a blatant attack on workers with “right-to-work” acts that aimed to take collective bargaining off the table, and threatened unions of all sorts, making the ability for teachers, firefighters, medical workers, and scores of other public employees to have a voice on the job virtually impossible.  President Hansen points out that the politicians who worked so hard to pass these type of actions, did nothing to create jobs. Electing Mitt Romney as our next president would only mean more anti-worker policies, when our country is in need of more, quality jobs. President Obama on the other hand, has proven to be a job creator.

President Hansen continues by stressing that unions have no place in the formerly know as “Moderate Mitt’s” presidency, who has flip-flopped into the palm of right-wing conservatives who no longer see union workers as “respectful adversaries across the negotiating table,” but “as bottom lines to be squeezed.”

When Romney says he will go after union bosses, President Hansen says, he is only threatening a cashier, or grocery bagger, or construction worker, or teacher who was brave enough to stand up and form a union and have a voice.  If you are undecided about who to vote for today, read Joe’s message and do what’s right for working America- vote for four more years of President Obama.

Good News for Voters in Pennsylvania

This week’s decision by a Pennsylvania judge to halt the state’s new voter identification law, ordering that it not be enforced for the presidential election, is a step in the right direction. Voter ID laws target those who are least likely to have photo IDs or to be able to afford any, and make it harder for people—including minorities, seniors and low-income voters—to exercise their right to vote.

With the election just five weeks away, the ruling by Commonwealth Court Judge Robert Simpson means that voters in Pennsylvania will not be required to show photo ID at the polls on Election Day—making it easier for all eligible Pennsylvanians to participate in this important election.

Pennsylvania is a swing state with 20 electoral votes up for grabs. According to recent surveys compiled by RealClearPolitics, President Obama is leading in statewide opinion polls by an average of 8 points.

Mitt Romney: A Man of the People?

After dismissing half of the American people as “victims” at a private fundraiser in May, it’s amazing that Romney would try to hoodwink middle class and low- income voters into thinking that he cares about them. In last night’s debate, Romney tried to portray himself as a man of the people and said that he would not raise taxes on middle-class families or reduce the share of taxes paid by the wealthiest Americans.

Don’t be fooled. Romney and his and his running mate, Representative Paul Ryan, have made it clear that they are planning to pay for more tax cuts for the wealthy at the expense of America’s workers and the poor. They want to make significant cuts to programs that serve the poor and middle class—including cuts to K-12 education, job training and grants which help kids go to college, replacing Medicare with a voucher system that would increase health care costs for seniors, and gutting Medicaid for the working poor.

The only groups benefiting from the Romney/Ryan plan would be the wealthiest Americans—whose tax cuts would be permanent if Romney and Ryan have their way—and corporations, which would receive tax breaks even as they continue to ship good middle class jobs overseas.

With the election only five weeks away, America’s workers face a stark choice between an opportunist who favors the wealthy one percent at the expense of the young, the elderly, the sick and the poor, and a leader who has given a voice to those who are too often overlooked and is fighting to create jobs and prosperity for all Americans.

Voting in Ohio is underway!

Early voting has begun in the swingiest of swing states – good old Ohio. After a bumpy ramp up to early voting, involving some bizarre actions on the part of Ohio Secretary of State John Husted, things appear to be running smoothly. So far, early voting numbers are high compared with four years ago. Seems like the people of Ohio are ready to get their vote on! If you’re looking for more information on early voting in Ohio, click here.  And if you’re not in Ohio, don’t despair! Early voting will continue to spread around the country over the coming weeks. More specifically: California Oct. 7; Indiana Oct. 9; Arizona Oct. 11; Georgia Oct. 15; Kansas Oct. 17; Tennessee Oct. 17; North Carolina Oct. 18; Nevada Oct. 20; New Mexico Oct. 20; Alaska Oct. 22; North Dakota Oct. 22; Arkansas Oct. 22; Colorado Oct. 22; D.C. Oct. 22; Illinois Oct. 22; Texas Oct. 22; Wisconsin Oct.22; Hawaii Oct. 23; Louisiana Oct. 23; Utah Oct. 23; West Virginia Oct. 24; Florida Oct. 27; Maryland Oct. 27; Oklahoma Nov. 2

Here are some of the highlights of what they said!

“Having my church have voter registration available  for all the young people and seniors”

“I sent $ to the DNC and i am proudly displaying my Obama/Biden bumper sticker”

“Not voting for Romney”

“Go to vote”

“Phone banking and canvasing- also taking anyone to vote early that will let me”

“Canvassing”

“Voting for Obama!”

“Passing better legislation”

“Helping a local state senate candidate”

“helping whenever needed”

“i’m reminding everyone i speak to is we need to move forward not backwards”

“I’m gonna drag everything that ain’t glued down 2 the polls…lol”

“Lookin’ 4 help to start a union at my Walmart”“Stand up for my rights”

“Tryn’ to make sure everyone that i know votes in November!”

“I work on the polls for our rights that the G.O.P. is trying to take away from us”

“Making sure the working class understand that president Obama is the best candidate for our future and we need to keep moving forward!!!!”

“Run for state rep”

If you want to join the UFCW rapid response team and be part of the next poll, sign up to receive text messages by texting JOIN to MYUFCW (698329). Your feedback could be the next to be featured on the UFCW blog.

Firstly, the decision, although perhaps only temporary, is a big motivator for all those involved in this year’s earlier anti-walker protests.  After investing countless resources into the movement to stop his anti-worker legislation from passing, and recall the governor, it was disheartening to lose the battle.  Working families see that our efforts were not in vain.

Another point made in the article suggests that now, political polarization and opinion on the issue is not going to fade away, and will only be rejuvenated.  Because of the Friday decision, Democrats and Republicans are less likely to compromise on their beliefs regarding right-to-work legislation, essentially giving the labor movement a second wind. Collective bargaining is now back in the spotlight, front and center.  The debate is not over.

This is good news folks.  Even if the judge’s ruling doesn’t stand up, we know that the fight will not be over.

“The Republican Party’s anti-worker platform at their convention in Tampa, Fla., this week further highlights the GOP’s disconnect from the realities of everyday Americans. Instead of offering any serious solutions for creating jobs with benefits and wages that can support a family and addressing the growing gap between the rich and the poor, convention speakers like Chris Christie, Scott Walker and Nikki Haley have resorted to pitting workers against workers by lashing out at labor unions.

“America’s workers are the cornerstone of our country’s middle class, and making it easier for hard working men and women to stick together through a union would put more company profits in the hands of working people and strengthen America’s middle class. While Republican candidate Mitt Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, claim to care about the middle class, they have challenged the very idea of the right of workers to stick together and bargain for basic rights—including fair pay, health care and retirement benefits.

“The best way for workers to have a say about their working conditions is by sticking together as a union, and the UFCW will continue to fight any action by Romney, Ryan and followers like Christie, Walker and Haley who favor the wealthy one percent over America’s workers and the poor.”

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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.

“The Supreme Court has rightly struck down the majority of Arizona’s controversial immigration law. This decision is a repudiation of those advocating a patchwork of extreme state laws and reaffirms the federal government’s constitutional role in setting immigration policy. We are disappointed the law’s provision encouraging racial profiling survived and hope it will be overturned in the near future. It is time to move forward on this critical issue. President Obama started that process by issuing a common sense order to prevent the deportation of young immigrants who serve our nation. It is now time for Congress to get to work on comprehensive immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for those who work hard and play by the rules. Only then can we truly fix our broken immigration system.”

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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.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – United Food and Commercial Workers Union International President (UFCW) Joseph T. Hansen released the following statement today in response to President Obama’s announcement of relief for undocumented youth:

“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.”

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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.

Scott Walker leaves this recall bruised and weakened. And he will now have a Democratic Senate holding him in check. Walker will try to spin last night’s outcome as an endorsement of his anti-worker policies. Nothing could be further from the truth. In Ohio and now Wisconsin, we’ve seen the great possibilities when ordinary citizens band together to fight for their rights. Collective bargaining is a fundamental right like free speech, not some line item in a budget to be cut. Politicians across the country should take notice that if they attempt to take this right away from workers, they will be in for the fight of their lives. I want to commend the people of Wisconsin for their extraordinary efforts over the last 15 months. I have no doubt that they will finish the job on Scott Walker in 2014.

“A sharply divided Supreme Court closed the door on millions of women working at Walmart today and overturned 40 years of legal precedence in discrimination cases.  In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled that Walmart’s written general discrimination policy was proof enough to overturn a lower court’s determination that Walmart women could join together to address widespread gender discrimination claims as a class.  This decision does not make any ruling on the merits of the women’s discrimination claims.

“Today’s decision is deeply disturbing.  The highest court in our nation has turned its back on collective remedy for workers facing widespread injustices.  The UFCW will continue to demand accountability from Walmart to its workers who deserve fair treatment, fair pay and respect on the job.

“Last week, thousands of Walmart workers announced the Organization United for Respect at Walmart because workers know that they are stronger as a group. Employers like Walmart have long attempted to isolate workers and prevent them from solving problems together.  This decision will not stop workers from joining together, through collective action, or prevent them from continuing to pursue their individual claims against Walmart.

The UFCW believes that Walmart is not too big for justice and will continue to hold Walmart to fair workplace standards.  Its 1.4 million associates deserve better.”

Making Change at Walmart seeks to promote the American values of equality, dignity and respect in the workplace. The campaign is making change by working directly with Walmart Associates to claim the respect on the job they deserve, holding Walmart corporate managers accountable to hourly employees and the public for their practices and joining with community leaders in major cities across America to make sure that any new jobs offered by Walmart meet strong standards for healthy, growing communities.

“This wrongheaded decision is based solely on technical grounds related to the NLRB’s internal procedures and not the merits of the rule, which remain sound. The rule seeks only to protect workers’ right to a fair and timely election. I call on the NLRB to take the steps necessary to remove this procedural roadblock and restore the rule as soon as possible.”

“The UFCW supports the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment. This amendment will prevent the U.S. Department of Justice from using taxpayer money to raid, arrest or prosecute medical cannabis patients and providers in the states where medical marijuana is legal.

“Medical marijuana laws have been enacted to allow patients safe and legal access to appropriately produced and compliantly dispensed medical marijuana in the safest possible environment and UFCW members in the medical cannabis industry work in accordance with state laws to provide safe and effective medical treatment for persons suffering from cancer and other serious medical conditions.

“At a time when millions of hardworking Americans are out of work and still struggling to make ends meet, the use of taxpayer money for the misguided targeting and prosecution of an industry that provides Americans with good middle class jobs with benefits is counterproductive. The U.S. Justice Department should not use the fewer resources it has to focus on targeting patients and dispensaries abiding by state law. That is a problem that the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment will solve and the UFCW wholeheartedly supports it.”

“It’s critical that OSHA continues to take company-wide actions like these to protect workers,” said Jackie Nowell, Director of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Occupational Safety and Health Office. “Rather than addressing problems with employers like Market Basket piecemeal and leaving workers at risk – OSHA can make real changes to systematic problems that occur across an entire company.”

The enforcement action came after repeat safety violations by the company – including two serious injuries to Market Basket workers in almost-identical falls from unguarded storage areas in two different stores. Workers at Market Basket don’t have a union at their work, making it harder to stand up for safer stores.

“This new enforcement program clearly shows that when OSHA finally gets tough with bad-actor employers, workers get better protection – far faster than waiting on empty promises by corporate executives to comply with our basic safety laws,” said Nowell. “We hope the Obama Administration will continue using these new tools to give all workers – especially the many retail workers who don’t yet have a union – a safe place to work.”

“I am pleased that the Senate defeated this transparently anti-worker resolution. Senator Enzi and his allies have a clear goal in mind: to legislate unions out of existence. It’s no different than what is being done by Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) at statehouses across the country. This NLRB rule is a modest step toward improving the rights of workers to organize. It will help eliminate some of the unnecessary delays and frivolous lawsuits that prevent workers from receiving a fair and timely election. But make no mistake, the NLRB union election process still overwhelmingly favors employers who control workers’ schedules and opportunities for raises and promotions. Majority sign-up, binding arbitration, and true employer neutrality are all still needed to make the system even remotely fair. With this charade over, it is time for the Senate to get to work creating jobs and opportunity for the American people.”

“”This NLRB rule is a modest but important first step toward ensuring a level playing field for workers in the union election process. Preventing unnecessary delays and frivolous litigation means less time for employers to intimidate, harass, and in some cases fire pro-union employees. Every worker has the right to decide whether he or she wants a union, free of interference.

“Now it is time for the Senate to confirm President Obama’s nominees to the NLRB. Leaving the Board short of a quorum in 2012 is unacceptable.”

“Congress hit a new level of dysfunction today by failing to pass the Buffett Rule. Hamstrung by the Senate’s arcane rules, Democrats were unable to get the votes needed to overcome a procedural hurdle. Nonetheless, they should be commended for trying. The overwhelming majority of Senate and House Republicans, on the other hand, have no interest in tax fairness. Their policies have widened the gap between the rich and the poor and bankrupted our country. Mitt Romney has proposed to take these failed policies even further, advocating a 7 percent tax cut for the superrich. The Buffett Rule is common sense. It’s too bad Congressional Republicans and their standard bearer don’t have any.”

Whether it was jobs or workers’ rights, each member of Congress was judged on their commitment to America’s working families. The bills that were scored each had or would have had a real-life impact on the 1.3 million members the UFCW represents in retail, grocery, and meatpacking.

“By and large, the first session of the 112^th Congress was a disappointment,” said UFCW International President Joe Hansen. “House Republicans focused on anti-worker politics instead of jobs. And the Senate, while rightly blocking many of the extreme measures passed by the House, was too gridlocked by its own archaic rules to do much more. This scorecard shows in the clearest of terms which members of Congress stood with workers and which members stood in our way.”

UFCW positively scored votes supporting the American Jobs Act, extending Trade Adjustment Assistance, and protecting the right of workers to organize. On the other hand, it penalized members who voted to dismantle workers’ rights and pass the most extreme budget in generations.

The breakdown of grades is as follows:

Senate Breakdown                         House Breakdown  

“The release of this scorecard serves to remind the entire Congress that they will be held accountable for their actions,” Hansen said. “Simply put, there are too many F’s here. We need our elected representatives to stand with workers, not corporations.  We hope that in 2012 Congress shifts away from petty partisan politics and toward creating more jobs and opportunity.”

To search interactively for a member’s score by zip code, click here.

For a pdf of the full scorecard, click here.

“”The NLRBs proposed rule to streamline the vote for union representation would be a modest but important first step toward fixing a broken process that favors CEOs over workers. Justice delayed is justice denied, and that is too often the case for workers that file a union election petition. Many employers delay, delay, and delay some more through frivolous litigation and other procedural tactics. They use this time to intimidate, harass, and in some cases fire pro-union employees. The result is an unfair election or no election at all. This proposed rule would ensure that when a majority of workers want to have a voice on the job, they will be able to do so, free of interference.

“”With the rule not even finalized, House Republicans have continued their assault on workers by passing legislation to block it. It is the latest act by a party more committed to denying the rights of workers to stick together than fixing the economy and creating jobs. Like the rest of the extreme anti-worker measures passed by the House, we expect this one will be given a quick death in the Senate.

“Union contracts offer the best opportunity for stable, middle-class jobs. The NLRB is charged with protecting the right of every American to bargain for a better life. This proposed rule would do just that. It should be adopted.”"