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Constituency Groups, Economic Justice, Social Justice, UFCW Values, Uncategorized, Women's Network

“Leaning In” Leaves Out Many Women Workers

Apr 19, 2013

By now, most of us have heard of Sheryl Sandberg’s (COO of Facebook) controversial book entitled “Lean In”, which, among other things, coaches women to negotiate for higher pay in the workplace. The problem? While Sandberg’s advice may be sound for women who are nearly at or are employed in top positions, her advice to women about advancing their careers fails to take into account what a recent OpEd in the New York Times referred to as the 5 C’s: women workers employed in caring, cashiering, catering, cleaning and clerical work positions.

The reasoning behind this claim, according to Amelia Gentleman, who wrote the piece, is that women who work such jobs have very limited opportunities to better their pay or position from minimum wage.  When looking at women in the workplace, it is unrealistic to only focus on “a few outsider women at the top”, rather than a more accurate cross-section of working women. Although there have been “incremental gains” for women in powerful, top positions, women still hold many of our country’s low-skilled, low-wage jobs.  Unemployment rates for women in the low-wage job market are also much higher than for those that are qualified for higher paying positions.

So, what does all of this mean? It means that “we have a long way to go to close the gender AND inequality gaps,” states a recent Business Insider article.

Gentlemen is correct when she says the solution to such inequality is to “raise the standards for working-class jobs and create better pay structures across the board.”

low skill labor

This chart shows that across Europe, among full-time workers, women fill more low-wage jobs than men.

Although Sanderg’s advice to women was well-intentioned, we must remember that the pursuit of feminism is only successful if it benefits all women.  Women in low-wage jobs have a much better opportunity to have good, well-paying jobs when they are part of a union.  When workers, of either gender, stand up together for a unified voice, they have the power to bargain for fair wages, and the power to ensure equality on the job, when that equality is threatened by management.

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

Members from UFCW Local 348-S Fight Immigration “Silent Raids” at the Workplace

Apr 10, 2013

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.

Barack Obama, Constituency Groups, Immigration, Legislation, Packing and Processing, Politics, Social Justice, UFCW Industries, UFCW Values, United Latinos, War on Workers

UFCW and Allies Write Open Letter to President Obama and Congress Calling for Stronger Family-Based Immigration Reform

Mar 15, 2013

Yesterday, the UFCW, along with a long list of other immigrants’ rights, civil rights, and faith-based organizations, wrote to President Obama and Congress to call for protections of a family-based immigration system in the ongoing fight for immigration reform legislation.

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.