The Union Effect
Having a union means better pay and benefits for all workers, especially women.
Recent statistical surveys indicate that UFCW women members who work in the retail food industry earn an hourly wage that is 31% higher than non-union women workers.
Additionally, UFCW women receive better employer paid health insurance. The average health and welfare benefit premium payment for UFCW women is nearly 300% higher than what non- union female workers receive in the retail food industry.
In the 35 years since the equal employment laws passed, women and people of color have made significant strides into the mainstream of the American workplace. But lingering unequal pay robs women and their families of economic security, doubling poverty rates for today's workers and threatening reduced retirement income and greater poverty tomorrow.
There are three clear routes to ensuring that women receive equal pay: vigorous enforcement of current equal pay laws, passage of stronger and better equal pay laws, and greater protections for workers' right to organize together into unions.
Through the Working Women's Department, the UFCW has been fighting for women in the workplace. Projects include:
- Workplace violence prevention
- Sexual harassment education and prevention
- Education on workers' rights
- Contraceptive Equity
The Working Women's Department also conducts voter registration drives to help UFCW women exercise their right to vote, mobilizes members to urge their representatives to strengthen equal pay laws, fights discrimination in the workplace, and promotes equal opportunity through legislative and political campaigns.
What You Can Do:
- Get involved in the Women's Network. Contact the UFCW Working Women's Department for an application.
- Get active in your local union! Your voice will bring new perspective to your union and will be a guiding light for new women members.
- Check out: Women in the Retail Food Industry: The Union Advantage
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