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
October 9, 2013 Washington, DC—Four UFCW activists were among those arrested yesterday outside the U.S. Capitol while protesting the failure of House Republican leaders to pass comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship. The march, which included tens of thousands of people from across the country, followed over 180 similar actions in 40 states this weekend. “Today […] October 1, 2013 Joe Hansen, International President of the UFCW has written an op-ed for the Huffington Post. In it, he poses a very important question to House Republicans and Speaker Boehner: are they going to continue to criminalize undocumented immigrants, causing families to be torn apart and workers to be taken advantage of, or are they going […] September 18, 2013 UFCW International Vice President and Director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department Esther Lopez was arrested last Thursday as part of a historic action to call attention to the need for comprehensive immigration reform. The protestors, which included over 100 women—half of them non-citizens—blockaded an intersection outside the House of Representatives. The goal […] September 11, 2013 Workers at Cosmo’s Food Products, Inc., in West Haven, Conn., are celebrating the signing of their first union contract. This victory comes seven months after the workers at Cosmo’s voted to join UFCW Local 371. “I’m proud of the union contract that we negotiated,” said Araceli Flores, Cosmo’s Food worker. “This contract will mean more […] September 5, 2013 Today, Walmart workers and their supporters in over a dozen cities across the country are joining together for a nationwide day of protests—the largest mobilization since Black Friday—to call for better jobs at the country’s largest employer. Many Walmart workers are struggling to support their families and contribute to their local economies because of low […] August 16, 2013 Adapted from UFCW Canada The UFCW 7th Regular convention convened yesterday in Chicago, wrapping up a historic gathering for North America’s most progressive and leading force for workers and their families. In an emotional speech to more than 2,500 UFCW activists, award-winning actress and social justice activist Ashley Judd thanked the union movement today […] August 8, 2013 As Congress begins their August recess, UFCW International and local unions across the country are focused on keeping the legislative push for comprehensive immigration reform alive and strong. This is a key moment in the immigration debate. UFCW local unions and members across the country have plans to do everything they can this August to […]UFCW Activists Arrested at Massive Immigration March
President Hansen in HuffPo Op-Ed: “We Demand Reform that Protects the Rights of Immigrants”
UFCW Members Continue to Push Congress for Comprehensive Immigration Reform
UFCW Local 371 Cosmo’s Workers To Sign First Contract
Walmart Workers and Supporters Hold Nationwide Day of Protests Against Retail Giant
UFCW Convention Adjourns, ActivistsThanked for “Making the Dream Accessible”
UFCW Will Urge House Members to Act on Immigration Reform throughout August Recess