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Corporate Responsibility, Economic Justice, Legislation, Macy's and Bloomingdale's, Retail, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values, Walmart

Tell D.C.’s Mayor Gray: Sign the Living Wage Acountability Act

Jul 16, 2013

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.

photoWhile 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.

D.C. is just the beginning–cities around the country are pushing for living wages, and the corporations are beginning to realize that the people have a say in how businesses operate on their turf. Let’s all tell Walmart that if they want to be in D.C., they need to pay a living wage.

Legislation, Retail Food, UFCW Industries

UFCW Members Efforts Help Stall Liquor Privatization in Pennsylvania

Jul 10, 2013
Lobbying efforts and political mobilization by members of UFCW Locals 23 and 1776 helped stop liquor privatization in P.A.

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.

Health Care, Legislation, Politics, Press Releases

UFCW Statement on the Delayed Implementation of Employer Mandates in the Affordable Care Act

Jul 03, 2013

UFCWnews(Washington, D.C.) – The following statement was released today by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), one of the largest private sector unions in the U.S. and the representative of 1.3 million workers in the grocery, retail and food manufacturing industries:

“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.”