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Economic Justice, Legislation, Politics, Press Releases, UFCW Values, War on Workers

UFCW Statement on House Bill Attacking Hourly Workers

May 09, 2013

UFCWnewsWASHINGTON, D.C. — The UFCW yesterday released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1406, the inappropriately named Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 which would take money out of the pockets of America’s hourly workers.

“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.

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

UFCW, Food Manufacturers Form Alliance on Senate Immigration Bill

May 08, 2013

UFCWnewsWASHINGTON, DC –The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union and the Food Manufacturers Immigration Coalition (FMIC) yesterday announced their partnership on comprehensive immigration reform in a letter sent to the Senate “Gang of Eight,” praising them for their efforts on S. 744. The labor-business coalition is also seeking improvements to the Senate bill in the areas of visa allocation and employment verification.

“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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Politics, UFCW Values

UFCW Members Lobby New York Legislators About Middle Class Concerns

May 01, 2013

Last week, nearly 100 UFCW members and staff from UFCW Locals 1, 342, 464A, 888, 1262, and 1500 traveled to the New York State Capitol in Albany to lobby their elected officials about important issues facing working men and women.

The delegation lobbied New York State Assembly Members and Senators in support of offering college financial aid to undocumented immigrants, taking special interest money out of elections, strengthening the right to organize for farm workers, legalizing medical marijuana, and abolishing a tax credit that gives companies like Walmart an incentive to hire workers at minimum wage.

“Unions are the backbone of our country and the middle class,” said Georgette Wilson, a member of UFCW Local 1500 who works at Stop & Shop in Staten Island. “People need to see and hear what we support.”

“Without us being here, they’ll just hear from the big corporations like Walmart and what we say won’t mean anything,” added UFCW Local 1 member Maureen Bizub, who works at Topps in Buffalo. “We’re the voters and the ones working. I have a lot of pride being here.”

UFCW Local 1500 member Isha Matko, who works at Gristedes in New York City, talked about the impact of lobbying. “It’s a wonderful experience sitting down and talking with people who have the power and ability to make a difference in all our lives,” she said.

IMG_0113This was the first-ever coordinated lobby day by UFCW locals in New York. When asked if they would participate again in the future, every member interviewed answered “yes.”