WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), which represents 1.2 million essential workers across North America, released a statement in response to the Senate Agriculture Committee’s passage of the Senate version of the Farm Bill.
UFCW International President Milton Jones said:
“The Farm Bill that advanced today bows to powerful agricultural interests and leaves hardworking families out to dry. Amid a nationwide affordability crisis, 5 million Americans have lost SNAP benefits, including 1.5 million children, and there is no relief in sight. Instead, the future cuts to food assistance will be even deeper.
“The bill also does nothing to protect the safety of workers across the food supply chain, support union jobs, or strengthen rural communities. The Senate Agriculture Committee had an opportunity to go back to the drawing board after failing to pass this legislation last month, but they turned down that chance.
“This Farm Bill fails on key issues for UFCW members, their families, and their communities. We urge lawmakers to reject it.”
BACKGROUND
- While this bill includes a delay to the drastic SNAP cuts under H.R. 1, the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” it offsets the delay with even deeper cuts in the future and fails to propose a solution for the roughly 40 million Americans who rely on the program every year. Since H.R. 1’s implementation, more than 4.5 million Americans have lost access to SNAP, more than 1.5 million of whom are children.
- Members of Congress interested in addressing the rising cost of groceries and supporting food workers should instead support the Stop Price Gouging in Grocery Stores Act, which would ban surveillance pricing and electronic shelf labels in grocery stores, and the Food Secure Strikes Act, which would allow striking workers and their households to receive SNAP benefits. Lawmakers should also consider the Grocery, Farm, and Food Worker Stabilization Grant Program Act, which would create a grant program to provide stabilization payments to food workers in the case of a natural or other disaster, along with the Food and Nutrition Delivery Safety Act, which would ensure that delivery workers within the SNAP delivery program are fairly compensated and properly trained.
CONTACT: Finn Storer press@ufcw.org
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The UFCW International is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.2 million workers and their families in grocery, meatpacking, food processing, healthcare, cannabis, retail, and other essential industries. UFCW members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at ufcw.org.