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

UFCW Joins UNI’s International Women’s Day March at the UN

Mar 11, 2013

Audra Makuch and Betty Wilson from Local 888 standing together for equality

Last week, we all celebrated International Women’s Day, giving thanks to the women who have made a difference in our lives.

This year, UNI Global Union participated in International Women’s Day by being a part of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York.  The theme of the commission this year deals with stopping violence against women and girls.  For International Women’s Day, UNI’s call was that women should be able to join a union without fear.

Volunteers from UFCW Region 1 and from the UFCW Women’s Network joined in the events to show their support.  UFCW Women´s network donated 500 folders to the event, and the Region 1 south network worked to get additional volunteers from the local unions, including Local 888, Local 1500, and RWDSU Local 338. Volunteers attended sessions and blogged about their experiences, hand-billed participants on UNI´s breaking the circle campaign and participated in the march.

The International Women’s Day march was hosted by the UN commission and UNI , to further support their cause, and show their solidarity with other  women around the world who were marching for equality. Those involved in the activities were also busy lobbying governments to stop violence against women and girls.

Volunteers from UFCW participate in the UN/UNI International Women’s Day march

As a labor union, standing up in solidarity to support all of our union brothers and sisters is so important.  No one should be made to fear retaliation or punishment for joining a union, or be submitted to harassment in the workplace for any reason, no matter what gender or race you are.

“We want women to be free from fear and have a voice in the work place and the only way we can ensure that happens is through union organizing. Women must have the right to join a union without fear of intimidation. This is the way we can create a safe environment at work which will have a positive effect at home too. We can break through the circle of inequality and violence,” said UNI Global Union General Secretary, Philip Jennings said, during last week’s events.  We couldn’t agree more!

Immigration, Legislation, Press Releases, Social Justice, United Latinos

HANSEN STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT RULING AGAINST ARIZONA IMMIGRATION LAW

Jun 25, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision striking down most of Arizona’s immigration law.

“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.

2012 Presidential Election, Elections, Immigration, Politics, Social Justice, United Latinos

HANSEN: ROMNEY IMMIGRATION PLAN MORE OF THE SAME

Jun 21, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement in response to Mitt Romney’s speech before the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO).

“During the Republican presidential primaries, there was no one more radical on the issue of immigration than Mitt Romney. He promised to veto the DREAM Act and encouraged undocumented immigrants to self-deport. Last week, he criticized President Obama’s historic immigration order as temporary, even though it would prevent the deportation of nearly a million young, patriotic immigrants who work hard and play by the rules. Today, in front of the nation’s Latino leaders, Romney offered more of the same, pledging to replace the President’s order with something more permanent. That something is likely to be in the mold of Arizona’s restrictive and inhumane immigration law, an approach Romney strongly supported. Mitt Romney may be a flip-flopper, but when it comes to immigration, his extreme position is crystal clear.”

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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.