Equality and Non-Discrimination
At UFCW, we believe that discrimination on the job, be it for race, country of origin, gender, age, disability, religion or sexual orientation, is unacceptable.
To promote these values, we not only work directly with employers to agree on legally-binding nondiscrimination policies in the contracts we bargain, but we also fight to extend these protections to all workers through national legislation such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA ” S811/HR1397), to ensure LGBTQ Americans do not have to live in fear of being looked over for a position, fired from a job or denied promotion because of their orientation or gender identity. Recently, President Joe Hansen released a statement in support of President Obama’s support for marriage equality. We’ve also been strong advocates for Equal Pay for Equal Work legislation. Also, the UFCW Women’s Network, the UFCW Minority Coalition, and the UFCW United Latinos promote diversity and inclusion within the labor movement and encourage women and minority leadership.
- UFCW is a long-time supporter of legislation to eliminate gender-based pay discrimination (“Paycheck Fairness Act” S797/HR1519), and workplace discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community (“ENDA” S811/HR1397).
Right to Organize
When workers stick together as a union, they have bargaining power and a collective voice that they simply do not have when they are not unionized. Being a member of a union not only gives you a better position to get better wages, benefits and working conditions, you also get job security. Non-union workers have limited rights and can be fired “at-will”, for no reason. Just because your boss is having a bad day and decides he/she doesn’t want you around anymore. Non-union workers also find that the rules can change at the whim of the employer.
- Fought efforts to cut funding for the NLRB and to remove the board’s authority to enforce labor laws.
Immigration Reform
Employers who take advantage of immigrant workers drive down wages and benefits for all of us. It’s clear—our current immigration law is broken. Immigration reform is important to UFCW members, many of whom know from personal experience working with the wide range of cultures and backgrounds in places like our nation’s packing and processing plants that the role of immigration in our communities is very complex and comprehensive reform is going to take more than partisan, political mudslinging.
- Fought efforts to lower wage standards for H-2B guest workers
Recent News
May 8, 2013 WASHINGTON, DC –The United Food & Commercial Workers International Union and the Food Manufacturers Immigration Coalition (FMIC) yesterday announced their partnership on comprehensive immigration reform in a letter sent to the Senate “Gang of Eight,” praising them for their efforts on S. 744. The labor-business coalition is also seeking improvements to the Senate bill in [...] May 1, 2013 UFCW’s political action committee, the Active Ballot Club (ABC), has launched its 2013 contest. 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 [...] April 26, 2013 ONTARIO, Calif. – Javier Rodriguez, a leader for change inside Walmart’s contracted warehouses in Southern California, was fired yesterday from his job as a forklift driver. 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 [...] April 25, 2013 This Sunday, April 28th is Worker Memorial Day, in which we take time to remember and honor those who have lost their lives on the job. With the tragedies of the past two weeks fresh on our minds, this year’s Worker Memorial Day is particularly somber and offers us a chance to rededicate ourselves to [...] April 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 [...] April 10, 2013 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 [...] April 5, 2013 Reposted from Warehouse Workers United: Exactly one month ago, on March 4, garment workers in Nicaragua were brutally beaten during a peaceful protest when the company they work for – SAE-A, a Walmart supplier – paid a mob of more than 300 other workers to attack these employees, using scissors, metal pipes, and other [...] March 19, 2013 One bright-spot for working people that has been making headlines recently– California’s rapid rate of incoming union members. In fact, last year, California’s union membership grew by 110,000 members. 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 [...] March 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 [...]UFCW, Food Manufacturers Form Alliance on Senate Immigration Bill
2013 ABC Contest
Warehouse Workers, Community Organizations Call on Walmart to Stop Retaliatory Firings in Contracted Warehouse
Remembering Those Who Have Fallen
“Leaning In” Leaves Out Many Women Workers
Members from UFCW Local 348-S Fight Immigration “Silent Raids” at the Workplace
More Worker Abuse at a Walmart Supplier…
California’s Union Numbers Swell
UFCW and Allies Write Open Letter to President Obama and Congress Calling for Stronger Family-Based Immigration Reform