Barack Obama

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Barack Obama, Economic Justice, Legislation, Politics, Press Releases, UFCW Values

STATEMENT BY THE UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION REGARDING THE MINIMUM WAGE DEBATE

Feb 13, 2013

http://www.ufcw.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/UFCWnews.jpgWashington, D.C. – The following is a statement issued by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union:

“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.\

Barack Obama, Politics

Looking Forward to Moving Forward

Feb 12, 2013

This evening, President Obama will be giving his fourth State of the Union Address. Working families are looking forward to hearing a speech where jobs and the economy are the primary focus.

A few weeks ago, during his Inaugural Address, the President displayed a boldness not often enough seen in his first term by discussing the need to preserve the social safety system and the need for immigration reform.

To UFCW members across the country who worked tirelessly to ensure his re-election, these subjects were welcomed. Tonight, we’re hoping UFCW members hear even more about the issues they care about – particularly the right to have a voice in the workplace.

For the last couple of years, corporations and their cronies in government have constantly attacked labor unions and the freedom to collectively bargain. It would be welcomed for President Obama to outline his second term vision for a strong economy by condemning the “right to work” campaign that is threatening the American middle class.

This isn’t just important to union members – it’s important to the entire country that the right of workers to collectively bargain for the wages and benefits that they deserve is protected.

Unfortunately, these workplace rights won’t mean much if millions of workers in America still have no rights at all. Last month, President Obama declared that the time to create a pathway to citizenship for aspiring American workers is right now. UFCW members wholeheartedly agreed.

Comprehensive immigration reform is common sense and it’s an issue we’re looking forward to hearing more about this evening.

There’s little doubt among working families that the next few years will hold plenty of challenges. The economy is still in recovery, jobs aren’t plentiful enough, and the partisan gridlock surrounding Congress has become a constant concern. Hopefully tonight President Obama lays out a path forward that promotes a fair shot at prosperity for anyone who dreams of it and makes us all feel confident in the future of our union (both of them).

Grab your friends, your family and tune in tonight at 9 p.m. (ET).

Barack Obama, Immigration, Politics, Press Releases, Social Justice, UFCW Values

Joe Hansen Weighs in on President Obama’s Immigration Speech

Jan 29, 2013

LAS VEGAS, NV — Joe Hansen, International President of the UFCW, today released the following statement after attending President Obama’s immigration speech in Las Vegas.

“I agree with President Obama—the time to reform our broken immigration system is now. The plan unveiled yesterday by a bipartisan group of Senators is a good start and they should get to work right away drafting legislation. The UFCW strongly supports comprehensive immigration reform that treats all immigrants with respect and dignity and creates a modern, 21st century system that reflects our values. Reform should include a roadmap to citizenship for those already here, an effective mechanism for determining employment eligibility, smart and humane border enforcement, and a fair process for allocating employment based visas. This issue is personal for UFCW members. Many watched in horror during the 2006 ICE raids as hundreds of documented and undocumented workers were detained and harassed just for doing their jobs. Our nation is better than that. We must be a land of opportunity for all those who work hard in pursuit of the American Dream. Passing comprehensive immigration reform will allow us to do that.”

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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.