Survivors of the Tazreen factory fire pointing out clothing at Walmart made by workers in Bangladesh

Many people would be surprised to know that garment making is quite possibly the most dangerous job “outside of war zones,” as Washington Post writer Harold Meyerson puts it in a recent article about the dangerous cycle that is the garment industry.

The death toll from last month’s building collapse in Rana Plaza, a garment factory in Bangladesh, has climbed to over 1100. Bangladesh comes second only to China in clothing and garment exports. The scale of this tragedy is immense, and heartbreaking, but it is by no means an isolated incident, or even the most recent event to have claimed the lives of workers in Bangladesh for that matter. Since the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory, which was structurally unsound, a fire that broke out in another facility last week, claiming eight lives. Another fire at Bangladesh’s Tazreen factory killed over 100 workers in late 2012. In most cases, workers cannot escape the fires due to a lack of fire doors and stairways, which are supposed to be in place.

Now, the major retailers that are supplied by Bangladesh garment factories are being forced to face the facts and take responsibility. Some companies have admitted to inadequate safety inspections, where inspectors made sure there were on-site fire extinguishers and things of that nature, but failed to ensure “the structural soundness” of the buildings.

Thanks to pressure by unions and activists around the world, a number of these mega-retailers have agreed to adhere to a plan to finally make working conditions for workers in garment factories safer. As per the plan, these companies have agreed to pay for renovations of these factories as well as “independent inspections” that will ensure the new safety measures are maintained.

Although H&M, the  biggest buyer in Bangladesh, as well as companies like British-owned Primark have agreed to the plan, only one American company has done so. PVH, which is the parent company of Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Izod, have taken this step towards responsible business, major American companies like Gap and Walmart have so far refused, and don’t show any signs of doing the right thing.

Why can’t the Walton family, with their $116 billion fortune, commit to these measures when others have readily done so? The value of human life is greater than cheap clothing, but that doesn’t seem to be the way these companies see it.

Meyerson notes that it is not Bangladesh that is the problem- the industry has faced many hurdles surrounding safety since its existence. But incidents like the triangle shirt-waist factory fire have taught us how to change for the better. But instead of taking these lessons about worker safety and using them to do good, companies like Walmart have taken the problem “to a new level.”  Meyerson continues:

“By depressing wages at its retail outlets and at every point along its supply chain, [Walmart] has helped create an underpaid buying public compelled to shop for discount clothing. Everyday low wages create a demand for everyday low prices — a downward spiral that hits bottom in the deathtraps of Bangladesh.”

This trend in the retail industry affects all Americans, but it hits very close to home for many UFCW members. In a statement issued about the pact to improve workplace safety in Bangladesh, UFCW President Joe Hansen stated:

“Thousands of UFCW members work in the retail industry, including at H&M, and the UFCW will continue to honor the workers who died or were injured in Bangladesh by supporting workers here and abroad who are struggling to protect their basic rights, and by calling on other retailers that have a strong presence in Bangladesh—such as Walmart—to do the right thing and sign this agreement.”

It’s time for these retailers to take action.

Kroger workers from UFCW Local 455 attend a meeting regarding their new contract that raises wages, improves benefits, and
preserves pensions.

“The wage improvements are great,” said Kroger associate Lenda Cadoree. “These hard working members truly deserve it and the other wage increases assure the company will be able to hire and retain quality employees in the future. All the employees I have discussed our new contract with have been extremely pleased with what we have accomplished together in our union.”

The contract sets a high bar for negotiations in the grocery industry and will help pave the way for other workers who are members of UFCW Locals 540, 1000, 1996, and 2008.

Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement issued by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) President Joseph Hansen regarding the decision of H&M and other retailers to sign a legally binding agreement to improve workplace safety in Bangladesh:

“The UFCW applauds H&M and other retailers for accepting binding building safety standards at Bangladeshi garment factories following the recent fire and building collapse that killed more than 1,000 garment workers in Bangladesh. By signing the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, H&M and other retailers are taking the high road and putting people before profits at their supplier factories.

“The UFCW also applauds UNI Global Union, IndustriALL Global Union and the Worker Rights Consortium for their work to address the terrible working conditions in Bangladesh.  Thousands of UFCW members work in the retail industry, including at H&M, and the UFCW will continue to honor the workers who died or were injured in Bangladesh by supporting workers here and abroad who are struggling to protect their basic rights, and by calling on other retailers that have a strong presence in Bangladesh—such as Walmart—to do the right thing and sign this agreement.”

Washington, DC-

“Usually I work 36 hours a week but they cut hours…sometimes I even get only 26 hours and I am supposed to be fulltime,” said Chicago native and OUR Walmart member Rose Campbell, who is featured on the site.  “I’ve even had 19 hours.  I’ve got bills and none of that changes…you have to make do.”

ReallyWalmart.org includes testimony from Walmart employees, community activist and even Actor/Activist Danny Glover.  The site also includes footage from elected officials, including President Obama’s keynote address to the Unite Food and Commercial Workers Union in 2008.  Also featured is exclusive footage from labor activist and former Bangladesh garment worker Kalpona Aktar.

“We might not have millions of dollars to pay for TV ads, but we have the stories to share that Walmart doesn’t want the public to hear,” said OUR Walmart member Charlene Fletcher.  “The truth is that Walmart is a company that puts profits over people and employs tactics and strategies that keep employees like me in jobs that don’t let us provide for our families.  Even while Walmart’s profits are going up, my coworkers and I have to rely on food stamps just to cover groceries.”

Citing nearly $16 billion in annual profits and a CEO earning 1000 times the average employee, Walmart employees and communities across the globe are calling for a change of course at the company.  Making Change at Walmart is calling on the company to raise wages, an end to retaliation against employees who speak out as well as increased access to full time hours so that employees make a minimum of $25,000 per year.

Additionally, the group is also calling on Walmart sign a binding agreement on fire and building safety to help prevent tragedies like last month’s Rana Plaza building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh which caused the death of more than 1,000 garment workers.

Over the course of the last year, Walmart has seen its reputation and business practices questioned amidst bribery allegations, tragedies in its supply chain and turmoil amongst its workforce including strikes launched last year for the first time in the company’s 51 year history.  Since 2011 Walmart has seen a decline in its reputational index rating, while its competitors have seen an increase during the same period and support for changing course at Walmart has been growing.  Last fall, more than 30,000 supporters joined striking workers on picket lines around Black Friday and since then a number of actions have taken place at Walmart stores across the country including last month when hundreds of OUR Walmart members and their supporters called on the company to correct scheduling problems within stores.

The new website highlights stories from various Walmart employees including those who have called on the company to change course and leadership.  Additionally, it features stories of Walmart employees who receive public assistance and those work along the supply chain.

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UFCW and OUR Walmart have the purpose of helping Wal-Mart employees as individuals or groups in their dealings with Wal-Mart over labor rights and standards and their efforts to have Wal-Mart publically commit to adhering to labor rights and standards. UFCW and OUR Walmart have no intent to have Walmart recognize or bargain with UFCW or OUR Walmart as the representative of Walmart employees.

Thousands of UFCW members work in the retail industry, including at H&M, and the UFCW will continue to honor the workers who died or were injured in Bangladesh by supporting workers here and abroad who are struggling to protect their basic rights, and by calling on other retailers that have a strong presence in Bangladesh—such as Walmart—to do the right thing and sign this agreement.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

“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.

The UFCW released the following statement about the decision:

“For years, Target has broken the law to suppress its employees’ fundamental right of association. Those days of illegal worker intimidation and suppression are over. The right to stick together at work is a basic American value.

“In this case, despite Target’s legal maneuverings to avoid responsibility, the retailer has been held accountable for suppressing the rights of the Long Island workers and for the company’s nationwide policy to silence all their workers.

“This is not just an isolated instance and Target is not an isolated employer. Too often, major employers get away with systematically silencing millions of American workers from speaking out about their jobs. To stand against freedom of speech like Target did is not just wrong, it’s un-American.”

WASHINGTON, DC

“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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You can make awesome Mother’s Day cards like this one at http://mamasday.org/ , thanks to The Strong Families Initiative

Mother’s Day is when we give back to the women who gave us life. Why not also make it a day to give back to and support union workers who help keep our country going? It’s easy to pamper mom with union-made gifts, or make her a home-cooked, union-ingredient meal!  With help from resources like Labor 411 , the AFL-CIO, and Union Plus you can find everything you need- check out our guide below!

Click here for a variety of delicious dinner ideas that you can impress mom with–like Roasted Almond Crusted Salmon with Pomegranate Glaze, Creamy Garlic Pasta with Shrimp & Vegetables, or Turkey Mignons with Blue Cheese and Balsamic Glaze–all with union-made ingredients!

No time to cook? Fear not–you can cater to Mom’s sweet tooth with any of these union-made treats:

• See’s Candies
• Godiva
• Ghirardelli (UFCW)
• Almond Roca
• Russell Stover

Or, if you’re looking to make Mom feel pretty (even though she’s already the most beautiful woman on earth), these union-made beauty products are perfect:

• Avon (UFCW)
• Caress skin care (UFCW)
• Dove beauty care (UFCW)
• Lander personal care (UFCW)
• Revlon

If mom likes a drink every now and then, don’t forget about the many union-made beers, wines, champagnes, and liquors available! Click here to see a complete list.

“I was honored to participate in today’s hearing which highlighted the economic struggles of part-time workers, especially those in retail,” said Congresswoman Chu.  “Millions of Americans are only able to find part-time jobs, and too many of these jobs do not provide health insurance, family and medical leave, or pension plans. That’s why the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act, which would extend benefits to part-time workers, is so critical. In today’s economy, we need to make sure that all hard-working Americans can afford to put food on the table and have a safety net to protect them and their families.”

The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights builds upon the progress of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ensures that part-time workers (defined as working less than 30 hours a week) and their families have access to critical workplace benefits.  The ACA penalizes employers who fail to provide health insurance to full-time workers, but includes no such penalties for employers who deny health coverage to part-time workers.

“There are too many people in search of work who can only find part-time jobs—and many of these jobs do not include critical work-related health and retirement benefits,” said Lola Smallwood Cuevas, a project director at the Los Angeles Black Worker Center at UCLA’s Center for Labor Research and Education and a member of the National Retail Justice Alliance. “Policies like the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights are needed to address the increasing number of Americans who are working without a safety net for retirement, health care, and family leave.”

In addition to Chu and Cuevas, state and local leaders, economic experts and part-time workers also spoke at the hearing which took place at East Los Angeles College.

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The National Retail Justice Alliance is dedicated to raising the living and working standards of retail workers in the United States.  By working in collaboration with a broad base of opinion leaders, organizations and communities, the National Retail Justice Alliance builds support for workers in the retail industry through advocacy, education and research to promote sustainable jobs, living wages, affordable health care and fair public policies.  For more information, visit www.retailjusticealliance.org.

The following is a statement from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union on the decision:

“For years, Target has broken the law to suppress its employees’ fundamental right of association. Those days of illegal worker intimidation and suppression are over.  The right to stick together at work is a basic American value.

“In this case, despite Target’s legal maneuverings to avoid responsibility, the retailer has been held accountable for suppressing the rights of the Long Island workers and for the company’s nationwide policy to silence all their workers.

This is not just an isolated instance and Target is not an isolated employer.  Too often, major employers get away with systematically silencing millions of American workers from speaking out about their jobs. To stand against freedom of speech like Target did is not just wrong, it’s un-American.”

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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.

source: http://bit.ly/18pwlBC

The Retail Justice Alliance stands with our sisters and brothers in Bangladesh who were told to report to work in a building that had severe structural cracks and lost their lives.  As the death toll continues to rise in Bangladesh after the collapse of a building that housed garment factory workers, it’s clear that cheap apparel comes at too great a human cost.

Workers everywhere deserve a safe place to work, and those corporations that exploit workers for profit and put them in danger must be held accountable. The Retail Justice Alliance will continue to honor the workers who died or were injured in Bangladesh by supporting workers in the retail industry who are struggling to protect their basic rights – including safe jobs, workplace fairness and collective bargaining.

Washington, D.C

“As the death toll continues to rise in Bangladesh after the collapse of a building that housed garment factory workers, it’s clear that cheap apparel comes at too great a human cost.  UFCW members in the U.S. and Canada working in retail stores and many related industries stand with our sisters and brothers in Bangladesh who were told to report to work in a building that had severe structural cracks and lost their lives.

“Workers everywhere deserve a safe place to work, and those corporations that exploit workers for profit and put them in danger must be held accountable. Thousands of UFCW members work in the retail industry, and the UFCW will continue to honor the workers who died or were injured in Bangladesh by supporting workers here in the U.S. and around the world who are struggling to protect their basic rights – including safe jobs, workplace fairness and collective bargaining.”

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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 http://www.ufcw.org/, or join our online community at http://www.facebook.com/ufcwinternational and https://twitter.com/UFCW.

Please find a link to LabourStart’s action alert here: http://www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaign.cgi?c=1813

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.

This 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.”

The contracts cover 2,300 ShopRite workers. Members have worked for nearly a year under an extension of their previous contract that expired last May.

ShopRite workers from UFCW Local 1776
ratified new contracts that include wage
increases and maintain benefits.

The new agreements run for two years through May of 2014, dating back to the expired agreements.  They include letters stating the intent of the union and the owners to begin talks on the next set of contracts later this year, so as to avoid contract extensions when the new agreements expire in 2014.

ShopRite is owned and operated by the Brown, Collins, R&R McMenamin, Colligas, Ammons and Zallie families in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania suburbs.

Congratulations to all the 1776 members who stood together and bargained for their rights!

By supporting worker friendly candidates and issues at the federal, state, and local level, ABC helps workers and their families win the respect that they deserve on and off the job.

From increasing the minimum wage to improving workplace safety to fighting back against so-called “right to work” laws, ABC stands up for the issues that matter to UFCW members.

 Contest Details:

-Runs from Wednesday, May 1 through Tuesday, November 5, 2013.

-Participants will only be eligible to win with $1 a week sign-ups or upgrades.

-Two local union prizes will be awarded in each region (Each of the two winning locals will receive an award and 100 percent credit for one year to their ABC account for new revenue raised).

-Five prizes for Union Representatives will be awarded in each region (3 $1,000 AMEX gift cards, 2 iPads).

-All members who sign up at $1 a week or upgrade to $1 a week and those who currently contribute $1 or more per week and upgrade will be eligible to win one of four $500 AMEX gift cards per region.

Winners in Each Region Will Be as Follows:

-Local that signs up the most new members at $1 a week.

-Local that has the highest increase in ABC percentage of participation at $1 a week.

-Union Representative with a route size of 1,000-1,500 members that increases ABC participation at $1 a week by the greatest percentage ($1,000 AMEX gift card).

-Union Representative with a route size of 1,500-2,000 members that increases ABC participation at $1 a week by the greatest percentage ($1,000 AMEX gift card).

-Union Representative with a route size of 2,001+ members that increases ABC participation at $1 a week by the greatest percentage ($1,000 AMEX gift card).

-Union Representative with the second highest percentage increase in ABC participation at $1 a week (iPad).

-Union Representative with the third highest percentage increase in ABC participation at $1 a week (iPad).

For information on ABC, click here.  

Hey union ladies! Want to learn more about the labor movement, and how you can become a stronger leader?

You will learn about these, and much, much more by attending any of the three Union Women’s Summer School programs being offered this summer by  The United Association for Labor Education!

Registration is now open for the three programs, each of which are offered on separate dates in different regions of the country.

The Northeast Regional Summer School for Union Women program, called “Raising our voices: Women’s Leadership for Democracy in our work, our country, and our world!“, will take place at the end of July. It will focus on strengthening the knowledge of union who have come together–rank and file members, officers, and staff–about the labor movement, in order to create better leadership skills.

The Western Regional Summer Institute for Union Women program, called “Women Emerging as Leaders” will take place in late June. This course also focuses on leadership skills and community work.

The third program, the Midwest/Southern Women’s School for Union Women will be held in mid August.

The workshops offered at all of these school programs are fantastic tools for women who are looking to get more involved in the labor movement–to protect workers rights and rebuild the middle class.

Go to http://bit.ly/Yhvunu now for more information and to download useful brochures. Register now to reserve your spot for this great opportunity!

ONTARIO, Calif

Rodriguez, along with Warehouse Workers United, filed formal federal charges today to protest the illegal firing.

“Walmart is committed to one thing, looking the other way when workers in its supply chain are abused,” Rodriguez said. “Just look at the factory collapse in Bangladesh this week or the fire that killed 112 last year. Just look at the conditions inside the warehouses in Southern California.”

Supporters launched a petition calling on Walmart to ensure Rodriguez’s reinstatement Friday and plan to deliver the signatures to Walmart officials Monday in Downtown Los Angeles. (Local reporters, see event details below.)

Rodriguez and his coworkers have repeatedly demonstrated that Walmart does not hold its contractors to its own standards. Warehouse workers, who are required to work inside dark, hot, metal shipping containers with little ventilation or water, under pressure to meet high quotas in the face of frequent injury, filed a complaint with the state agency responsible for workplace conditions last summer.

Though Walmart initially dismissed workers’ concerns, in December, the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) cited NFI Industries, which is contracted by Walmart to operate the warehouse, and one staffing agency, tens of thousands of dollars in health and safety violations.

Earlier this month Walmart supply chain workers from the National Guestworker Alliance, Warehouse Workers United, New Labor, Warehouse Workers for Justice and Jobs with Justice convened to respond to Walmart’s claim that it holds its suppliers to its “Standards for Suppliers.” Workers offered their own set of core principles that would ensure improved labor standards in the supply chain.

“What workers have shown is that Walmart’s standards are nothing more than a sheet of paper,” said Guadalupe Palma, director of Warehouse Workers United. “To be serious the Walmart’s standards must be enforceable, credible standards that are centered around workers. Walmart must ensure Javier is reinstated and immediately start acting to resolve serious problems in its supply chain.”

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Warehouse Workers United is an organization committed to improving the quality of life and jobs in Southern California’s Inland Empire. More than 85,000 warehouse workers work moving goods for major retailers like Walmart in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

Last week, in West, Texas, a fertilizer plant exploded, killing at least 15 workers and emergency responders.  The amount of deadly chemicals stored at the plant was thousands of times beyond the mandated limit, and inspections of the factory had not been performed in several years.

This week, news of a collapsed garment factory in Bangladesh that has killed at least 300 workers saddened us all.  Reports that cracks in the building’s foundation found yesterday were ignored and that management still forced employees to come to work are alarming.  This incident comes only months after more than 100 workers perished at another Bangladesh garment factory, when a fire broke out and locked doors (done by management) trapped workers inside.

• Can you take a moment to sign the petition asking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Minister Rajiuddin Ahmed Raju to Make garment factories in Bangladesh safe?

Workers at a Nicaraguan Walmart supplier were recently physically attacked by a paid mob when they protested about being fired for trying to organize for a voice on the job.

It’s time that companies stopped putting workers’ lives at risk in order to make a profit.  The working people who make corporations successful deserve basic human rights, and deserve safe working environments.

Take a moment to remember the victims of workplace fatalities, and help us continue to fight for worker safety. If you have a story of a friend or loved one lost or injured on the job that you would like to share, please send us a message on our Facebook page.

2013 Worker Memorial Day Break Room Flyers

Members at Americare participated in an extensive seven-month campaign featuring a contract survey that gathered information from hundreds of members and several informational pieces that communicated bargaining priorities and updates to the membership. A text blast system provided bargaining updates to a list of hundreds of core activists, a crucial link to a widely dispersed home-based workforce that lacks a common worksite.

Phone-banking and one-on-one sessions at workers’ homes also identified leaders in the bargaining unit who will later become “neighborhood stewards,” providing a union base for workers who don’t see each other at work or in break rooms.

Thousands of Americare workers from UFCW Local 348-S voted to ratify a new contract last week.

Dozens of members attended bargaining sessions. Workers also organized home meetings where aides gathered to discuss their work and their contract, and a rally when contract talks broke down in January that brought out dozens of aides, other UFCW locals, and allies.

Viscofan workers from UFCW Local 686 stand together with other UFCW locals to ratify a new three-year contract.

By standing together in the plant, and with other UFCW members, Viscofan workers in Danville, Ill. recently ratified a new three-year contract. The new contract includes better wages and safety improvements. Workers in the Danville plant manufacture casings used the in the production of meat products like sausages and deli meats.

The contract ratification follows a strike vote when bargaining between members and Viscofan broke down. At that point, workers reached out to their fellow UFCW members to continue their fight for a good contract and to show their solidarity.

Many of the plant’s customers are UFCW-represented meat processing facilities. The UFCW locals at those facilities signed on to a letter to the company where they work, informing them of the dispute at  Viscofan and warning that they might need to find other sources for their casings if the dispute were to continue.

UFCW Locals who stood with the Viscofan workers include 2, 5, 6, 7R, 8*, 75, 152, 204, 293, 304A, 324, 342, 400, 431, 440, 455, 538, 540, 711, 1473, 1546, and 1996. This great show of solidarity was a big source of support for the Viscofan workers and factor in their success. Congrats to all the plant workers on their new contract!

Workers at the world’s largest musical instrument retailer are standing together for their rights in New York City and other areas across the country. Guitar Center workers at the flagship store in Manhattan have overwhelming support to file and hold an election to have a voice on the job and join the RWDSU.

In 2007 Bain Capital, the world’s largest private asset management firm, acquired Guitar Center and since then has been steadily stripping away pay and benefits from workers. Workers say it’s  getting harder for them to make ends meet on the low wages and so they are speaking out about their working conditions.

Guitar Center workers started an online petition asking Bain Capital and Guitar Center to respect their rights and allow them to join a union without fear of retaliation or harassment. The petition can be signed at http://bit.ly/YdhKVt.

Workers at Guitar Center are standing together for workers’ rights and to have a voice on the job with RWDSU.

Guitar Center is home to the world’s largest selection of popular guitars, basses, amplifiers, keyboards, workstations, drums, percussion, PA systems, DJ equipment, stage lighting, recording software, studio gear, and more.

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.”

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

Shaquana Battle and George Miles both work for Martin’s Food Markets, which, along with Giant Food, Peapod, and Stop & Shop, is owned by the Dutch company Royal Ahold NV. The two Martin’s employees arrived in Amsterdam to attend the multi-national grocery retailer’s annual shareholders’ meeting, where along with other labor activists, they had the chance to confront Ahold’s CEO Dick Boer and the members of the Supervisory Board. The workers seized this unique opportunity to address the shareholders in attendance. Their message? That Ahold, as a multi-billion dollar company and 8th largest food retailer in the U.S, must end its double standard policy and afford all its employees the same rights, no matter where they work. While two out of three Ahold workers in the U.S. enjoy the benefits and protection of a union contract with the UFCW, the company denies the same right to Shaquana and her coworkers at Martin’s/Giant Carlisle.

Unfortunately, Shaquana and George’s words were met with “denial and evasion” from the corporate owners, according to an In These Times article. Shaquana, who has worked at Martin’s for five years now, noted that Mr. Boer replied to her statement very indirectly. She also was met with a similar response last year, when she attended the 2012 shareholders’ meeting. She has not however, let this discourage her: “they know we are here, and that we are not going away till we get a union,” she said of the Board of Directors.

Shaquana’s determination to protect workers’ rights is what makes her a great leader in the push of her coworkers to organize at Martin’s, and, partnering with the UFCW, she has helped to push back against Ahold’s aggressive anti-union initiatives.

As Ahold continues to grow, it has expanded further into the U.S and Europe. However, instead of continuing to foster a mutually beneficial relationship with workers like it does at its largely unionized Netherlands grocery chain, Albert Heijn, or at its unionized stores in the U.S., the company is investing in non-union stores, at the expense of its employees. The effect of the non-union store expansion is pressure on union stores to reduce pay and benefits of their workers, since their union contracts have allowed them to bargain for good wages and benefits.

An unfortunate example of this race to the bottom strategy was seen last year, when a large unionized distribution center in Jessup, Maryland was shut down in order to transfer the work to non-union sites, where the company can pay workers less.  This type of anti-union action was not an isolated event. This past march distribution center workers with the Dutch union group Federatie Nederlandse Vakbeweging (FNV) went on strike against Albert Heijn, because of the chain’s decision to now use temporary, non-union workers.  The use of the temp workers not only hurts the union workers, but has also led to mistreatment of the temp workers, who are often submitted to substandard working conditions. Ahold’s anti-union activity was again seen in the U.S. this year, when Stop & Shop recruited strikebreakers in order to scare the striking members of five UFCW locals in New England to make healthcare concessions.  Despite the chain’s attempts to bully its union workers, the striking workers stood together and bargained for a new contract, which protected their rights.

For George, frustration comes from his store managers in Richmond, who have discouraged him and his coworkers from joining the UFCW.  Having been a union member at his previous place of employment, George says “I know what a union is, and what a union does, so I don’t need these guys to tell me.”

According to George, a majority of his coworkers would like to join the union. George and Shaquana, along with many of their coworkers, know that a union gives them a voice and enables them to protect their rights as workers.

That’s why this was the third year that Shaquana has attended the shareholders’ meeting.  Shaquana and her coworkers are standing their ground and making their presence known, to tell Ahold that they are being closely watched and that the workers at Martin’s/Giant Carlisle will not rest until their rights to freedom of association are respected.

OUR Walmart member Rose Campbell is a grandmother of 14 and has worked at Walmart for four years in Chicago.  While Walmart considers Rose a full time employee, she is never scheduled 40 hours a week. Her schedule is erratic – some weeks she works 32 hours, others 38. Sometimes she will be scheduled for as few as 19 hours a week. With low pay and a fluctuating schedule, Rose struggles to cover her bills. She is unable to afford her own car or apartment.

OUR Walmart members believe in the value and importance of consistent scheduling and adequate hours. Thousands of Walmart workers work fewer hours they want and need to make ends meet. Workers say their schedules are often inconsistent, varying in the number of hours they get, as well as the shifts they are required to work. This makes budgeting nearly impossible and limits workers’ ability to go to school or find a second supplemental job.

The national day of action is a call for change at Walmart so workers like Rose can work the hours they need to get by. More information on the national action day on April 24 can be viewed at http://bit.ly/Z0jLZ6.

In January 2013, after speaking out about the issue for more than a year, OUR Walmart members won a huge victory: Walmart CEO Mike Duke announced that Walmart would provide more transparency in scheduling and offer part time workers the opportunity to get the hours they so desperately need. Unfortunately, workers report that three months later Walmart has yet to make good on its public commitment to change.

(Source: Huffington Post) Republican House majority leader Eric Cantor

Republican House Majority leader Eric Cantor is spearheading a bill that has the potential to deny low-wage workers of their overtime pay. It’s being pushed by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), a lobbying firm that represents large U.S. retailers – among them Walmart and Target.

The name of the bill — The Working Families Flexibility Act – poorly masks its true effects on working families.

If this bill were to be passed, employers could offer employees who work overtime the opportunity to earn future time off rather than overtime pay (which is typically one and a half times the normal hourly wage). As Vicki Shabo, a director at the National Partnership for Women & Families points out, this bill creates an unfair situation for workers.

“Employers would essentially be getting an interest free loan from their employees. They are taking the work today and are paying by giving time off or cashing out wages at a later time, up to 13 months later.”

The bill also ignores the realities of today’s workplace. Making the decision to accrue time off or accept overtime pay may not always be solely up the individual worker. Workers are often pressured by their employers to obey instructions, without argument, or face the risk of being fired. It’s easy to consider a scenario where a worker may feel forced into accepting time off instead of increased pay for working overtime.

Even if workers were able to fairly choose between time off or increased pay, there would be no realistic guarantee that time off an employee earns could be used when they need it.

Eric Cantor’s proposal is just another attempt by House Republicans to push down wages and weaken workers so that big retailers have more power over their workforce and are able to share less profits with them as well.

Although the bill is expected to pass in the House of Representatives, it is not being seriously considered by the Senate due it’s vagueness and inability to ensure that employees would actually be free to choose between time off and additional pay.

Workers have a right to enjoy the wealth that their labor helped create. This type of legislation underscores the importance of workers sticking together and speaking up for their rights.

For full details of The Working Families Flexibility Act, click here.

The rally was attended by about 200 members. Among them was Will Flesch who said, “Right to work is wrong for Missouri. There’s already a law that says no one can be forced to join a union. It’s unnecessary and frankly, unfair. They’re just playing politics.”

UFCW Local 655 member Laura Kelley added, “A lot of voters don’t know what’s going on in Jefferson City, but when they hear what working people are facing and how wages will fall if these bills are passed, people are very concerned. Politicians should realize that constituents are paying attention.”

The rally was the latest event in an ongoing campaign by UFCW Local 655 against these measures. They are also participating in weekly canvasses, lobby visits, and other education and outreach efforts.

See what else working people in Missouri are saying about anti-worker legislation in their state here.

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.

“Senate Republicans have made a mockery of their constitutional responsibility to advise and consent on nominations to the NLRB. Senator Lindsey Graham says the Board is out of control but it is his caucus that has made obstruction an art form. President Obama could nominate Mitch McConnell to the NLRB and Senate Republicans would still likely block him. Their motive is clear—they do not believe in the right to organize and resent that the agency charged with protecting workers is actually doing its job. Later this week, House Republicans will go a step further and consider a disgraceful bill to shut down the Board all together. The Senate now has before it a full package of nominees to the NLRB. It is time for Republicans to put ideology aside, do their job, and allow for prompt consideration. America’s workers deserve nothing less.”

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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.

Martha Sellars, a Walmart associate from Paramount, CA, also noted, as she spoke at the conference, that Walmart is not a good employer, and therefore must stay out of Chinatown.  Touching on the never-ending fight to return Walmart to what its founder, Sam Walton, created it to be, Martha said:

“One of [Sam Walton's] beliefs was to listen to us, the workers. We know what’s going on in the stores–we deal with it everyday. So when we speak up now, the store retaliates

Martha and many other activists, business owners, workers, and residents protested last year, when Walmart began construction on the controversial Chinatown location.

Watch the videos of the Martha’s speech below to hear more about how Walmart’s mistreatment of workers, and its negative impact on the economy, make it a bad choice for Chinatown.

Workers at the Thomaston Wellness Connection medical marijuana dispensary (photo source: Andy O’Brien via The Daily Chronic)

Yesterday, history was made when a poll found that, for the first time ever, more than half of the US is in favor of legalizing marijuana.  The survey, done by Pew research center, found that 52% of Americans were for legalization, and 45% against, meaning support for legal pot has grown 11 percentage points in just three years.

Young Americans make up a majority of those who support legal marijuana. Most supporters believe that the costs of focusing law enforcement on marijuana outweigh its benefits, and may even be counterproductive.

In the wake of increasing public support and emerging state laws that allow medical cannabis dispensaries, the medical cannabis industry has grown drastically.  But as the industry grows and more workers are employed in medical cannabis facilities, workers realize that they need to stick together and address the concerns they face in the workplace.  That is why thousands of medical cannabis workers nationwide have decided to organize and join the UFCW. They work predominantly in dispensaries, coffee shops, bakeries, patient identification centers, hydroponics stores, and growing and training facilities.

The most recent workers to launch a unionization effort come from The Wellness Connection of Maine, which operates four dispensaries in the state. In addition to poor treatment by the dispensary operators, workers decided to form their union after several failed attempts to resolve issues surrounding the use of pesticides on the cannabis plants, a clear violation of state law  Despite an overwhelming majority of the workers having decided to join the UFCW, Wellness Connection of Maine has so far refused to honor their choice and recognize the workers’ union.

“We will continue to fight for our right to have our union so that we can help our employer work in accordance with state laws and provide the people we serve in the state of Maine with safe access to medical marijuana,” said worker Amanda Kaler.

UFCW members in the medical cannabis industry understand that in order to gain dignity and respect and ensure medical cannabis jobs are good jobs with benefits that can support a family, they must support each other and speak with one voice in the workplace. We are proud to be the union of medical marijuana workers, and together, we can achieve just that.

source: thecomingcrisis.blogspot.com

Walmart has been touting claims about its fresh produce, healthy food options, and great products all around for a while now, but recently, customers have been finding that the selection of great food products available at Walmart is not up to par with all the company claims it to be.

A few examples that went viral this week help demonstrate the problem.  When someone posted photos of a box of doughnuts that had layers of expiration stickers on it, each with a different date, many others related and shared similar stories. This twitpic shows another not-so-fresh photo from a customer who, while shopping at 6:30 pm at Walmart, saw rotisserie chickens on display that had been cooked at 10:15 am.

A driving force behind the poor selection in products like produce? An article in the New York Times helps explain what has been happening more and more in Walmart’s across the country:

“Walmart, the nation’s largest retailer and grocer, has cut so many employees that it no longer has enough workers to stock its shelves properly.”

Walmart’s decision to deprive its associates of full-time work and healthcare is actually hurting the company:

“Internal notes from a March meeting of top Walmart managers show the company grappling with low customer confidence in its produce and poor quality. “Lose Trust,” reads one note, “Don’t have items they are looking for — can’t find it.”

Despite this problem, Walmart continues to expand across the country, while the average number of store employees has decreased from 338 to 281. Not only has the decrease in employee staffing and hours hurt the availability of fresh food, but it has created other issues as well:

“Tsehai Scott, a manager at a Los Angeles Walmart who is a member of the union-affiliated employee group OUR Walmart, said “sometimes there’s a 30- or 40-minute wait in the line” because there are not enough cashiers working. With as few as 11 people on the overnight shift stocking the 218,000-square-foot store, “stocking has fallen by the wayside in what we call the consumable areas,” meaning everyday products like food or toiletries. “The department won’t get as clean as it should,” she said, “or we’ll see spoiled food in the food department, that if we had enough hands, we could get it back to the freezer or refrigerator in time.”

The result of all of this? An exodus of customers to other retailers like Costco and Safeway.  When will Walmart realize that what is good for the associate is good for business too? If the company wants to turn things around, they should start by listening to what the world is telling it: treat your workers better.

Keany Produce drivers in Landover, Md. overwhelmingly voted to join UFCW Local 400.

On Friday, March 29, Keany Produce drivers stood up for their rights, living standards, safety, and health and retirement security by voting overwhelmingly for representation by UFCW Local 400.

After years of frustration over low pay, inadequate benefits, inconsistent hours, and unfair treatment, many of the 140 drivers decided they needed to empower themselves through collective bargaining. After an intensive, months-long, worker-led organizing drive, they won in a landslide.

“Divided we fall, united we stand,” said Terrance Helm, a Keany Produce driver who spearheaded the organizing effort. “It’s been a collective effort and we all came together.”

“I love my co-workers,” he said. “I have such an appreciation for all the hard work and the sacrifices they’ve made, and the strength they showed in standing up to management.”

Today, in the wake of their victory, morale among the workers is at an all-time high, Helm observed, and they are looking forward to sitting down across the bargaining table with management.

“We’re here to fight until the end,” he said.

Keany Produce is a wholesale produce distributor located in Landover, Md.

But recently, things have changed.

Darrell was recently fired for supposedly violating a time and attendance policy. Even when Darrell proved that he hadn’t violated the company policy, Juicy denied him unemployment, and a judge had to step in.

Duane, who started his job at 40 hours a week, has seen his hours cut drastically over the years, so that he is now only working 14 a week.  The company claims this is due to his lack of availability, since he has a five-year-old daughter.

But Duane and Darrell are not the only employees at their location to experience such practices.  Many of their coworkers also started as full-time employees, and now only 19 of the 128 Juicy flagship workers are full-time.  When Duane and Darrell realized that their full-time workforce had been swapped for a part-time one, and part-time hours became capped at 21 hours a week, they decided to stand up to Juicy, and are telling the company–which sells $200 jeans and sweaters–to take care of its workers.

Juicy’s actions of cutting hours is so that it does not have to provide healthcare for  its part-time workers. In a time and city where it is hard enough to make ends meet while working a full time job, part-time hours and no healthcare is crippling to these hardworking individuals. To stand up for workers like themselves, who have been forced out of a job due to lack of hours or unjust firing, Duane and Darrell have started a petition in partnership with the Retail Action Project.

“We know from experience that Juicy has loyal customers and dedicated employees — if enough of us speak out and demand Just Hours, they’ll have no choice but to act,” note the former employees.  They couldn’t be more correct–which is why the workers should organize.  If the employees at Juicy Couture come together and unionize, to stand up for their rights as workers, they can put a stop to these unfair business practices.

Please sign their petition here, and tell Juicy to take care of its workers!

Walmart likes to claim that they are organic, sustainable, and all about healthy options. But in reality, Walmart is a driving force in the unhealthy lifestyles that have led to an “epidemic” of weight and diet-related health problems in our country.

Walmart’s share of the grocery market stands at an unprecedented and increasingly-growing 25%.  This means that Walmart has an alarming amount of control over what American eats.

According to an article from Truthout, Walmart has “recast its relentless expansion as a solution to ‘food deserts.’” However, when looking at the stats, it isn’t hard to see that this claim is more of a PR stunt:

“Although Walmart has made food deserts the vanguard of its PR strategy in urban areas, most of the stores the chain has built or proposed in cities like Chicago and Washington D.C. are in fact just blocks from established supermarkets, many unionized or locally owned.  As it pushes into cities, Walmart’s primary aim is not to fill gaps but to grab market share.”

Aside from Walmart’s bogus reasoning behind its rapid expansion, what is truly worrisome is this:

“Walmart’s takeover of our food system has been to intensify the rural and urban poverty that drives unhealthy food choices.  Poverty has a strong negative effect on diet, regardless of whether there is a grocery store in the neighborhood or not, a major 15-year study published in 2011 in the Archives of Internal Medicine found. Access to fresh food cannot change the bottom-line reality that cheap, calorie-dense processed foods and fast food are financially logical choices for far too many American households.  And their numbers are growing right alongside Walmart.  Like Midas in reverse, Walmart extracts wealth and pushes down incomes in every community it touches, from the rural areas that produce food for its shelves to the neighborhoods that host its stores.”

Farmers and food workers are now struggling more than ever to make a living now too, thanks to Walmart’s control of the industry.  In order to avoid being crushed by  the mega-corporation, food companies have been forced to merge and consolidate in hopes that they can supply for Walmart. The result is that 4 meatpacking companies slaughter more than three quarters of America’s beef, and a single dairy producer handles 40% of the country’s milk.  With monopolies like this, the ability for businesses to compete is all but zilch.

The effect of all of this? It comes down to less pay for farmers and food workers, a decrease in the value of the consumer dollar, and higher grocery prices overall.  But since Walmart’s prices are so low, many are forced to shop there, creating a vicious cycle: “As Walmart stores multiply, fewer families can afford to eat well.”

But let’s not forget the other huge reason Walmart is downright unhealthy: It doesn’t provide its hard-working associates with living wages, affordable healthcare, or oftentimes, even a safe working environment.  When the workers who make Walmart the success it is have to decide between food for their family or paying the electric bill, can’t go to the doctor because if they miss work they will be fired, or are afraid to speak out about issues in the workplace because of harassment and intimidation, healthy living becomes impossible–regardless of food choice.

The retail sector is the largest industry by employment in the United States, and is projected to add almost 1.8 million jobs between 2010 and 2020—more than any other industry except construction. Although the retail sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the country, many retail workers are struggling to survive in low-wage jobs with inconsistent hours and few benefits.

Academic studies, including a recent report by Demos, provide quantitative evidence that retailers, workers and the U.S. economy can benefit if retail companies invest in their workforce.  According to the Demos report, raising wages for full-time retail workers at the nation’s largest retail companies (those employing at least 1,000 workers) would result in improving the lives of more than 1.5 million retail workers and their families who are currently living in or hovering above poverty.

For more information, visit http://money.cnn.com/2013/04/01/news/economy/jobs-wages/.

Bill Fletcher, chair of the Retail Justice Alliance, spoke about the economic plight of part-time retail workers. Rep. Jan Schakowsky is seated at his left.

On March 26, the National Retail Justice Alliance, in partnership with the UFCW, Citizen Action/Illinois, Women Employed and Jobs With Justice, hosted a hearing at the Spertus Institute in Chicago with Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) to highlight the economic plight of part-time workers in retail and other service industries.  The hearing also underscored the need for Rep. Schakowsky’s legislation—the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act of 2013 (H.R. 675)—which would extend protections to part-time workers in the areas of employer-provided health insurance, family and medical leave, and pension plans.

Sponsored by Schakowsky and Representative George Miller (D-Calif.), the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights builds upon the progress of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ensures that part-time workers (defined as working less than 30 hours a week) and their families have access to critical workplace benefits.  The ACA penalizes employers who fail to provide health insurance to full-time workers, but includes no such penalties for employers who deny health coverage to part-time workers.

Jim Hutton (left), a Macy’s worker, and Tyrone Robinson (right), a Walmart worker, spoke about their struggle to survive as part-time workers in the Chicago area.

“As our nation’s economy relies more and more on part-time, low-wage work, policies are needed to address the widening gap of those working without a safety net for retirement, healthcare, and family leave,” said Bill Fletcher, chair of the National Retail Justice Alliance and director of field service and education at the American Federation of Government Employees. “The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights would ensure that employers provide for critical benefits for part-timers and protect the health and well-being of millions of part-time workers in retail and other service industries.”

In addition to Schakowsky and Fletcher, Tyrone Robinson, a Walmart worker and Jim Hutton, a Macy’s worker, spoke about their struggle to survive as part-time workers in the Chicago area. Local 881 members were also involved in the production of the hearing.

UFCW members and other stakeholders attended the hearing.

“Today, I decided to speak out because there are millions of part-time workers in my position, many of which are in a worse off because they earn less and can’t afford health insurance,” said Robinson. “Today, I am speaking out not just for myself but for them and millions of other workers who are too afraid to speak up.”

For more coverage of the hearing, check out this article from Progress Illinois.

UFCW Local 400 members and labor allies attend a hearing on the Large Retailer Accountability Act in Washington, D.C.

UFCW Local 400 members and labor allies including Respect DC, and the DC Labor Council attended a hearing to support the Large Retailer Accountability Act.

The bill would require large retailers, those with stores over 75,000 square feet and over $1 billion in revenue, to pay the DC Living Wage and follow the First Source hiring law. It makes sure that big box retail is a better deal for D.C. by making sure residents share in the profits of the large corporations like Walmart, Target, Home Depot, and Lowe’s that want to enter and expand in the city. A petition to support the Large Retailer Accountability Act in Washington, D.C. is available here.

By supporting and approving this bill, we hope that similar legislation will emerge in other major cities throughout the nation, bringing us another step closer to economic justice for workers.

Mott’s workers in New York signed a new contract for better wages, benefits, schedules, and respect on the job.

Local 220* Mott’s workers in New York have ratified a new contract. The contract contains wage improvements, signing bonuses, secures health care coverage for over 300 employees at the plant, and contains numerous language improvements that will help workers with scheduling and overtime issues.

In 2010, Local 220* members employed at the Mott’s plant in Williamson, New York were forced on strike by company greed. Workers waged a nationwide public campaign that exposed the greed of Motts and their parent company, Dr. Pepper/Snapple. Workers walked a picket line for several months, until Motts backed away from demands to gut their contract and do away with the workers’ retirement security.

Congrats to the Mott’s workers of Local 220* on their hard-earned contract!

Many IUF union workers are employed by Mondelez International, a leading chocolatier, biscuit and candy maker, and gum manufacturer. Their brands include Cadbury, Milka, Oreo, Nabisco, Tang, and Trident, just to name a few.  Despite being the world’s leading manufacturer for these products, Mondelez international has repeatedly shown that they do not care for the hard workers that make them successful.

Ahmad Abdulghani Awad Abdulghani, 26 years old, worked at Cadbury Egypt, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mondelez, from 2008 to December 2011. He never had a permanent job, but was part of the army of precarious workers making chewing gum at the Alexandria factory. He lost half his thumb while operating a machine which should normally be run by three persons. Then he lost his job.

This is the same factory management that sacked 5 union leaders in June 2012 following a spontaneous protest over the company’s refusal to pay a government-mandated private-sector pay rise.

This is the same company whose management in Tunisia has dismissed and suspended union leaders and denies responsibility for these abuses.
This is the company whose corporate management refuses to respond to communications to the IUF, the international union that represents these workers.

The IUF has therefore filed a formal complaint for violations of international human rights standards with the relevant US government agency – and has launched a GLOBAL CAMPAIGN in defense of its members at Mondelez in Egypt and Tunisia.

To learn about the campaign go to http://www.screamdelez.org – there you can learn more and download campaign materials for distribution to union members at Mondelez.

Click here to send a message to Mondelez – tell them to make time to rectify human rights abuses and to meet with the IUF NOW!

Also, please be sure to like the campaign facebook page.

Sponsored by Schakowsky and Representative George Miller (D-Calif.), the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights builds upon the progress of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and ensures that part-time workers (defined as working less than 30 hours a week) and their families have access to critical workplace benefits.  The ACA penalizes employers who fail to provide health insurance to full-time workers, but includes no such penalties for employers who deny health coverage to part-time workers.

“As our nation’s economy relies more and more on part-time, low-wage work, policies are needed to address the widening gap of those working without a safety net for retirement, healthcare, and family leave,” said Bill Fletcher, chair of the National Retail Justice Alliance and director of field service and education at the American Federation of Government Employees. “The Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights would ensure that employers provide for critical benefits for part-timers and protect the health and well-being of millions of part-time workers in retail and other service industries.”

In addition to Schakowsky and Fletcher, state legislators, economic experts and part-time workers also spoke at the hearing which took place at the Spertus Institute.

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The National Retail Justice Alliance is dedicated to raising the living and working standards of retail workers in the United States.  By working in collaboration with a broad base of opinion leaders, organizations and communities, the National Retail Justice Alliance builds support for workers in the retail industry through advocacy, education and research to promote sustainable jobs, living wages, affordable health care and fair public policies.  For more information, visit www.retailjusticealliance.org.

source: timeanddate.com

Tomorrow is the first day of Passover- what better way to celebrate your Passover seders than with union-made foods and ingredients?  Check out the list of products below, all made by UFCW members, as well as our brothers and sisters at UFW, IAM, and IBT,  brought to you by Labor 411 and the AFL-CIO:

Matzo Products, Crackers and Farfel
Manischewitz (UFCW)

Meats
Empire Kosher (UFCW)

Wine and Grape Juice
Arbor Mist (UFCW)
C.K. Mondavi (UFW, UFCW)
Chateau Ste. Michelle (UFW, IBT)
Gallo of Sonoma (UFW)
Turning Leaf (UFCW)
Minute Maid Grape Juice (UFCW)
Welch’s Grape Juice (UFCW)

Bonus:
Here’s an Empire Kosher’s recipe for glazed and spiced matzo stuffed chicken breasts. For this recipe, there are plenty of union-made ingredients to incorporate:

6 tablespoons Empire Kosher Rendered Chicken Fat, divided
4 cups Passover Matzo Farfel (Manischewitz)
Salt and pepper (Morton Salt [UFCW, IAM] and Durkee Pepper [UFCW])
6 Empire Kosher Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (Durkee [UFCW])
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Durkee [UFCW])
¾ cup white wine (see union-made options here).

Be sure to check out Labor 411 for all things union-made!

UFCW Pilgrim’s Pride poultry workers visited Secrectary of Agricultre Tom Vilsack, OSHA, and members of Congress to lobby for better wages and worker safety in the poultry industry.

Last week, 12 Pilgrim’s Pride poultry workers from UFCW Locals 227, 455, 540, 1996, 2008, and RWDSU Mid-South Council traveled to Washington, D.C. to fight for changes in the poultry industry.

Despite the financial success experienced by many poultry companies, poultry workers continue to earn some of the lowest wages and face some of the most dangerous workplaces in the industry. Pilgrim’s Pride workers especially are suffering.

When Pilgrim’s Pride faced bankruptcy back in 2008, the company asked the workers to make concessions to keep their plants viable. Those workers with a union voice on the job were able to protect themselves from the most severe cuts, but had to sacrifice overtime pay and holidays to keep their jobs. The company is now posting record profits but the workers have not seen a raise in over two years, or had the overtime and holidays they gave up returned to them. And, Pilgrim’s Pride is holding workers up at the negotiating table and leaving contracts open.

“We work hard and work full-time and we just can’t make ends meet on these wages. My entire community is centered around the poultry plant. When workers aren’t making decent wages, the whole community suffers because people can’t afford to buy anything,” said Brian Rush, a Pilgrim’s Pride worker from the Batesville, Ark., plant and a member of UFCW Local 2008.

“On these wages, a lot of people can’t even afford to buy the product that they make. If a person makes $9 an hour and a box of chicken is around $60 – it all just doesn’t make sense,” said Carey Stanley, a Pilgrim’s Pride worker from the Live Oak, Fla., plant and a member of UFCW Local 1996.

Pilgrim’s Pride traveled to Washington, D.C. on a mission to tell their stories and educate lawmakers and policymakers about what it’s like to work in the poultry industry. They visited and spoke with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and his staff, ranking members of OSHA, as well as Senators Pryor, Kaine, Bennet, and Stabenow, and several members of the House of Representatives.
At the Department of Agriculture, members told Secretary Vilsack and key staff members about the struggles they face working full-time for a successful company that pays low wages. Workers also pointed out that Pilgrim’s Pride receives almost $75 million in government contracts, and is the second largest government poultry contract in the country. They argued that changes have to be made so that there is some balance and justice between company profits and worker wages.

“I brought my W-2 and my last paycheck to show them that I work 40-hour weeks and last year I made only $18,000. I work hard, my family makes sacrifices, and we are struggling so much,” said Idalid Guerrero, a Pilgrim’s Pride worker from the Lufkin, Texas, plant and a member of UFCW Local 540.

Workers then visited with Assistant Director of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels, Chief of Staff Debbie Berkowitz and additional staff of OSHA. In their meeting, workers discussed safety issues on the job, including dangerous ammonia leaks, the lack of decent medical care at the workplace, and the company not reporting injuries to avoid any lost-time reports.

The lobby day continued with workers visiting senators and representatives on Capitol Hill. There, workers educated members of Congress and their staff on the nature of the poultry industry, how workers are treated, and called for the necessary changes that the industry and union can make to turn poultry jobs into middle class, family supporting jobs. Workers also asked members of Congress to support a new federal study on the poultry industry in order to investigate further into worker wages and workplace conditions and bring the poultry industry issues to attention so that companies will begin to be held accountable and changes can be made.

Check out photos from the Lobby days on our Flckr! (Day 1 ,  Day 2)

Just last week, over 300 Tacoma Mall Macy’s workers in Washington who are represented by UFCW Local 367 ratified a new contract. The new three-year contract includes the elimination of the two-tier wage structure, annual wage increases for the thereafter rates, recognition of years of service for on-call associates in hours selection, and other positive changes.

Negotiations between Local 367 and Macy’s began on January 23, and went on through early March. Union members showed strong solidarity while working toward a fair contract.

“It was the Tacoma Macy’s members’ solidarity that enabled us to beat back the two-tier system, “ said Local 367 President Denise Jagielo. “Long-time members stood strongly together with new hires to end this unfair practice.”

Thanks to union member activism during the November elections, California’s legislature is occupied by a worker-friendly majority.  Having allies in leadership positions is key for workers who want to stand up for their rights.

Another trend that has led to increased union membership in the state–  immigrant workers have organized in other industries that simply cannot be “shifted overseas”.  As noted in a recent Guardian article, jobs in arenas such “as healthcare, food service, retail, and transportation” are in need of workers here at home. Indeed, “some work – flipping burgers, administering flu shots, or driving the city bus – just can’t be shipped to China.”

Also, retail is the fastest growing industry in America, with new jobs emerging every day. The large number of retail and service positions opening up in states like California are great for the middle class. However, there is also the potential for workers in these sectors to be exploited by their employers.

As America’s retail union, the UFCW wants to make sure these new jobs are good jobs. Workers who join a union have more access to better benefits, wages, and hours than non-union members, and can stand together to ensure their voice is heard.

A few weeks ago, Macy’s Inc. CEO Terry Lundgren and ten other Macy’s executives received a handsome payout in the form of 727,000 shares of performance restricted stocks. Macy’s paid more than $11 million to Lundgren and ten other executives collected more than $14.4 million in the form of performance restricted stock units.

The retail sector is the largest industry by employment in the United States, and retail jobs are setting the working and living standards for thousands of American workers.  That’s why it’s critically important that Macy’s and other employers in this industry compensate workers with the kind of pay and benefits that allow them to live in the middle class.

Academic studies, including a recent report by Demos, provide quantitative evidence that retailers, workers and the U.S. economy can benefit if retail companies invest in their workforce.  According to the Demos report, raising wages for full-time retail workers at the nation’s largest retail companies (those employing at least 1,000 workers) would result in improving the lives of more than 1.5 million retail workers and their families who are currently living in or hovering above poverty.

For more information about Macy’s executives and their generous stock options, visit http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2013/03/04/macys-execs-get-millions-in-stock.html.

WASHINGTON, D.C.

“The UFCW strongly supports the nomination of Tom Perez as Labor Secretary. Tom led the Maryland Department of Labor with excellence and is strongly qualified for this post. Now more than ever, workers need a champion at the Department that will fight for fair wages, safe workplaces, and the right to organize. I am confident Tom Perez will provide that leadership.”

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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.

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.

The new contracts include:

• Wage increases per hour for full and part-time workers ranging from 95 cents to $1.62 over three years.

• Scheduling language that protects current part-timers working over 30 hours per week from any ACA-related pressure to cut hours.

• Mechanisms that keep part-time workers in the existing Taft-Hartley benefit plans for ancillary benefits while investing in health savings accounts for part-timers to use in conjunction with a plan on the state exchange.

• A number of new structures, depending on the collective bargaining agreement or state, for part-time, new hires to connect with their union for health coverage.

Ratification meetings were held in all five local unions this past weekend and the contract was overwhelmingly accepted by members across New England.

The five locals are a perfect example of what we can all achieve when we stick together in solidarity.