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News and Updates
August 29, 2014
The Way They Worked: UFCW International Secretary-Treasurer Marc Perrone Shares How His Grandparents Shaped His Work Ethic
This Labor Day weekend, Jobs with Justice has launched a series of stories called The Way They Worked to collect and share stories from people in the labor movement about how their grandparents worked, and what they learned from them. We sat down with our own UFCW International Secretary-Treasurer Marc Perrone to hear about his grandfather Joe and grandmother Gaetana:
My grandmother arrived in America through the port of New Orleans and my grandfather through Ellis Island, both immigrating from Italy.
Before my grandmother Gaetana met her future husband Joe, she stayed for a while in Louisiana among other Italian immigrants, and her brother worked in the cane fields. Unfortunately, Gaetana’s brother died while working out in the fields one day. The people who employed Gaetana’s brother never notified his family, and buried him in an unmarked grave.
This sad occurrence was just one example of the experiences many immigrant families faced in those times.
Eventually, both of my grandparents and their families moved to Texas where they became sharecroppers and farmers. Joe and Gaetana eventually met and married.
As immigrants, my grandparents and their families experienced a good deal of discrimination. They would always tell me a story, and it has really stuck with me all these years. Before they were sharecroppers, my grandfather and his younger brother had heard that the railroad company was laying track and that there were jobs to clear the land. They walked over to the job-site but were told that since they did not own any tools, they couldn’t get the job. So, my grandfather and his brother walked into town and went to a hardware store. They didn’t have any money, but they talked to the store owner to work out a deal where they could each buy an axe on credit so they could work. Finally, the store owner agreed to the deal and gave them the axes on the condition they pay him back. The brothers then returned to the job-site to talk to the foreman about hiring them, since they now owned the appropriate equipment. However, the foremen simply told them, “we don’t hire Italians here.”
The brothers protested, saying they had been told if they got the tools they could work, but the answer was the same. The brothers were forced to return to the hardware store and return the unused axes, but the store owner refused to take them back, leaving the brothers in debt to him, with no foreseeable way for them to pay him back.
My grandmother Gaetana also had been teased so much about her Italian name in school that she changed her name to Agnes, and was harassed so badly for being an immigrant that she dropped out of school and never learned to read or write.
Despite these hardships, my grandparents worked very hard as sharecroppers and were eventually able to scrape enough money together to buy a plot of land, which they farmed, raising cattle and other farm products. They were up at 5:00 every morning and out the door, checking on the animals, plowing the fields, baling hay, and keeping things going.
The main thing I learned from my grandparents was that if you wanted something in life, you had to work really hard to get it. But if you did that, and respected people, then good things would come to you–and that you could in fact make it, even if you started with nothing.
The other thing I learned, was just how important family was. In addition to working hard on the farm and garden, my grandmother always made sure we had a big traditional Italian Sunday dinner, with home-made spaghetti sauce. And my grandfather always told me, no matter what it was about, I could always come to my family with a problem or if I needed help.
Seeing discrimination and experiencing it themselves, my grandparents were believers in respecting people–treating them fairly and decently, and that had a big impact on me. For many people, families are often your only support system. Today, so many people come to America for a better life, and have to find work and face all kinds of barriers, including discrimination. Many come all by themselves, and their families are far, far away. In these situations, who becomes your support system when you are treated unfairly at work? When workers stick together, that support system is each other. When you are going through the same experiences, or living in worker housing together, people learn to rely on each other and work together to make things better. I think that’s a big part of why I started getting involved in the union.
America’s economy benefits from the hard work and contributions from immigrants, but they are often taken advantage of, discriminated against, or left vulnerable by a lack of protections in the workplace. Both in the days of my grandparents, and today, employers try to drive apart immigrants from different countries or races, or pit them against each other, so that it is harder for them to unite in dealing with issues in the workplace. But when workers stand together they have the power to change things that aren’t right, and even the playing field.
That’s why, as a union, we try to help immigrants however we can–whether it’s creating a path to citizenship, or bargaining for important workplace protections. Your union is truly your family when your support system is far away, and even if it isn’t. When my father died, I had been working for our union, the UFCW, for 33 years. I was walking out of the church from his funeral, and saw the former director who had hired me to work at UFCW coming in. He was over eighty years old, had been retired for 20 years, and had traveled over 100 miles to be there. That really demonstrated to me how union people are your family.
Whether someone is an immigrant or not, unions are avenues and vehicles for people to improve their lives. They are made up of groups of people that provide physical and psychological support, and can be the difference in feeling like you are powerless to change something, to feeling empowered to make a difference.
Tell us about your grandparents’ work story! Send submissions to Submissions@ufcw.org, post on our facebook page, or fill out an online form here.
August 29, 2014
This Labor Day UFCW and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Celebrate Their Partnership to End Blood Cancer
Shortly after Labor Day, September 6th will mark the beginning of Blood Cancer Awareness month–and is a reminder to us why the partnership between the UFCW and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is so important.
Working together since 1983, the UFCW has helped raise over $60 million dollars for LLS through charity golf tournaments, auctions, bottle drives and a range of other events, all of which has gone towards the development of lifesaving drugs and working toward the shared goal of a world without blood cancers and achieving their mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma. Many UFCW staff, local union leadership, and rank and file members also greatly enjoy participating in the LLS Light the Night walk, as well as the Team in Training campaign.
Together in this special partnership, LLS and UFCW are truly helping blood cancer patients live better, longer lives.
For blood cancer awareness month, the LLS is attempting to raise $300,000 in 30 days. Please consider helping us get them to their goal by donating today. You can find free information and more info about support services and the LLS’s lifesaving blood cancer research around the world by going to http://www.lls.org/.
August 28, 2014
UFCW Statement on Market Basket Sale
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Joe Hansen, International President of the UFCW, Richard Charette, UFCW International Vice President and President of UFCW Local 1445, and Dave Fleming, President of UFCW Local 328, today released the following joint statement in response to the sale of Market Basket.
“Market Basket workers have secured the return of their preferred corporate leader by standing together in unprecedented collective actions. These workers showed that the real value of any company is not held in stocks, but in the dedication and hard work of its workforce.
“Market Basket workers and their families have made tremendous sacrifices, and proved that when they stand together, they have the power to move mountains.
“The members of our union have stood in solidarity with Market Basket workers, from rallies to raising a solidarity fund to help laid-off workers. As Market Basket workers negotiate the terms of their return to work, we will continue to offer our solidarity and our support.”
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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.
August 27, 2014
However you Celebrate Labor This Holiday, Celebrate Union-Made!
Every year, we celebrate Labor Day as a reminder and tribute to all the men and women who work to make our economy and our country strong, and to provide for their families. Whether you have the day off, or are getting in one last cookout of the summer in after work, help support your brothers and sisters of labor by buying and shopping union!
Here’s a great list compiled by the AFL-CIO of some union-made food and drink to get your barbecue off to a great start. Even if you favorite products aren’t on the list, you can still shop union by looking for the union (especially UFCW!) label on the outside of grocery stores.
This list comes courtesy of Union Plus, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM), the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor’s website Labor 411.
- Ball Park
- Boar’s Head
- Calumet
- Dearborn Sausage Co.
- Fischer Meats
- Hebrew National
- Hofmann
- Johnsonville
- Oscar Mayer
Condiments
- French’s Mustard
- Gulden’s Mustard
- Heinz Ketchup
- Hidden Valley Ranch
- Lucky Whip
- Vlasic
Buns and Bread
- Ottenberg’s
- Sara Lee
- Vie de France Bakery
Bottled Water
- American Springs
- Pocono Springs
- Poland Spring
Beer
- Budweiser
- Bud Light
- Leinenkugel’s
- Mad River
- Michelob
- Miller
- Rolling Rock
Ice Cream and Frozen Treats
• Del Monte Fruit Chillers
• Breyers
• Carvel
• Good Humor
• Hiland Dairy
• Labelle Ice Cream
• Laura Secord
• MacArthur
• Orchard Harvest
• Prairie Farms
• President’s Choice
Snacks
- Flips Pretzels
- Frito-Lay Chips
- Oreos
- Triscuits
- Wheat Thins
August 25, 2014
Texas Cargill Workers Vote Union “Yes”
Cargill workers in Fort Worth, Texas, voted to join UFCW Local 540. There are more than 200 workers at the ground beef processing plant where they produce hamburger patties and sausage. Workers decided to come together for a union voice for several reasons. Workers claim that many of their peers have been unjustly fired. And, they say verbal abuse and disrespect on the job are common. When the company threatened to cut wages, workers went into action to fight back.
With a union voice and a union contract through UFCW Local 540, workers say they are looking forward to dignity and respect on the job, good wages, and affordable benefits.
August 23, 2014
UCAN Workshop Helps UFCW Members on Path to Citizenship
Today UFCW Local 431 Cargill workers attended a UFCW Union Citizenship Action Network (UCAN) workshop in Beardstown, Ill. The workshop focused on legal services, the process to become a citizen, and other immigration and citizenship issues. Nearly 75 people attended the workshop and 22 people received assistance filling out their naturalization applications. This will start them on the path to becoming U.S. citizens.
In the face of inaction on comprehensive immigration reform by Congress, the UFCW launched the UCAN program to be a resource for workers looking to apply for citizenship. UCAN helps provide the proper documents, legal counsel, and other assistance necessary to get the process started. The program also positions the UFCW to be able to help many more workers once comprehensive immigration reform becomes law.
In Beardstown, the UFCW partnered with the National Partnership for New Americans, the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, the Immigrant Project, and the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa. African language translators and interpreters were made available to meet the needs of workers.
Upcoming UCAN workshops will be held in West Liberty, and Waterloo, Iowa, respectively.
August 22, 2014
UFCW President Hansen Statement on the Mother of Michael Brown
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement regarding UFCW member Lesley McSpadden whose son Michael Brown was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri.
“At the UFCW, we are a family. When tragedy strikes one of us, it is felt by all of us.
Our sister Lesley McSpadden, a member of UFCW Local 88, is dealing with the loss of her son Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.
We have watched the unfolding events in Ferguson—from Michael Brown’s death to the police response that has targeted peaceful protestors and journalists for exercising their first amendment rights. This entire episode highlights systemic problems that still plague our nation—abject poverty, the lack of good jobs, an absence of racial diversity in the halls of power.
We need to address these challenges head on—and labor has a role to play by offering workers the opportunity for a better life. In the meantime, we stand in solidarity with our sister Lesley McSpadden and join her calls for a fair investigation and justice under the law.”
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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.
August 19, 2014
UFCW Local 400 Police Officers Fundraise for Special Olympics Torch Run
Officers and Local 400 members Jimmy Buckson and Deborah Sauriol
Two Annapolis, Maryland police officers, both members of UFCW Local 400 were recently spotted at a Dunkin Donuts, where they were fundraising for the Law Enforcement Torch Run. Known as the LETR, the torch run raises funds for the Special Olympics. To learn more about the LETR, click here.
August 19, 2014
Member Profile: Mike Davis
For 38 years, retired UFCW member Mike Davis worked at Kroger as a member of Local 550 and later Local 700. We chatted with him this week about his experience as a union member:
Beginning work at Kroger at age 17 in 1969 in Indiana, Mike says he decided to work there because it was “a good outfit” which paid a good wage and provided benefits. Back then, he says, everyone got raises once a year, and from 1968 to 2003, “I never paid a dime for medical” or healthcare.
In 1970, Mike joined the army reserve and was on active duty while still working for Kroger–which he did for over 20 years.
Under his union contract in 1983, Mike reflects that he and his coworkers were making over $10 an hour, had ten personal days, and some even had six weeks vacation. Then Mike was out on army leave for three years. When he returned, things in the store were not as good as they had been previously, and eventually Indiana became a Right to Work state, making Kroger one of the only union grocery stores in the state. “In Indiana,” he says, “if you’re hurt on the job, your employer will pay your medical bills but once you are able to come back to work they can fire you.”
However, it’s being a union member, Mike says, that ensured his job remained a good one throughout the years, and keeps jobs protected: “The UFCW fighting for us was what got us back.”
When Mike’s former manager gave him a hard time about getting weekends off for when he had army reserve training and drilling, which is a federally protected right, Mike stood up to him, knowing that the union was behind him. Nevertheless, the manager still tried to fire him for not being at the store when he had to fulfill his duty with the reserves. So, Mike filed an official grievance with the union. Mike’s UFCW Local stood with him and helped him ensure that his rights as a union member and army reservist, as well as his job, were protected.
Mike also says that being a union member helped him win justice when he was wrongfully accused of stealing cigarettes from the store by a manager, and was told he was fired. When Mike, the union, and management met to settle the dispute, it turned out that the store had scheduled a week of vacation for Mike’s coworker, who had witnessed him paying for the cigarettes, so that he would not be able to vouch for Mike’s innocence at the meeting. But the union backed Mike up in proving management wrong, and Mike not only was rightfully able to keep his job, but the manager was transferred to another store.
“I’m glad the UFCW had my back for all those years because there were managers who didn’t want to obey labor laws and thought our contracts were a floor mat,” he says, looking back at these experiences. “I was lucky to have good representation and make good friends.”
Now that he’s retired, Mike still follows the union lifestyle by telling all his family and friends to buy union. He also supports Walmart workers and other workers fighting to make their jobs better. As a vet, Mike finds it upsetting that Walmart has been said to change the job titles of workers who are out on military leave, so that when they return they don’t have to keep them at the same position of level of pay that they were before they left.
Mike also enjoys doing polar plunges with his family and volunteering for the state’s plane pull each year, all in order to raise money for the Special Olympics. He also manages to find time to lobby on Capital Hill with a charity group called American Veterans, which he has helped raise money for now for many years.
“It’s all about trying to pay it forward,” Mike says. That’s why he wants younger new hires at Kroger, or any workplace, to get involved with the union and be proactive. Educating people about what being a union member is can help ensure that they aren’t taken advantage of at work, Mike says.
Like Mike’s story? Share your union story with us by going here.
August 18, 2014
UFCW Gold Internship Recap
The GOLD Internship Program came to a close last week at a final debrief in Chicago. Thirty six interns reflected upon their four week action projects and planned for how they could be effective activists when they return to their local unions. Action projects took place all across the country.
- In Chicago: GOLD interns helped deliver 25,000 signatures to the Mayor in support of paid sick leave.
- In Mississippi and North Carolina: GOLD interns helped hundreds of people register to vote.
- In California: GOLD interns helped the “Summer for Respect” campaign in their fight to give workers a stronger voice.
- In San Francisco: GOLD interns campaigned for the Retail Worker Bill of Rights, a bill which would guarantee fair schedules and full-time hours for retail workers.
- In Iowa City: GOLD interns partnered with the Center for Worker Justice to document cases of wage theft.
- In Washington D.C., South Carolina, and Florida: GOLD interns traveled to poultry facilities to capture stories from UFCW members who were injured while on the job.
Here’s what interns said about their GOLD internship experience: “One of the biggest things I learned from this program is that you can make a difference if you just try. We held a workshop to inform immigrant workers of their rights, and help them with the housing process. It was amazing to see how much they appreciated something that was fairly easy and simple to do. Making a difference in the community is something new to me—I’m not a steward and I wasn’t ever overly involved with my union, but through GOLD I learned a lot and am looking forward to going home and helping to improve my own community.” – Gerardo Garcia, UFCW Local 99, Iowa City Worker Center Action Project.
“It was a great summer – it just felt good to help people and be a part of a movement. Instead of just saying ‘I don’t like my job’ or ‘we need a raise’ this internship taught me how important it is to stand up and involve yourself and your co-workers. If someone were considering this program, I would tell them to do it. If I learned anything this summer, it’s that the more active people we have in our union, the better life will be for workers everywhere.” – Fawzi Ghantous, UFCW Local 1445, Organizing in Maryland Action Project.
“I became a GOLD intern because too many union members, myself partially included, don’t fully understand what our union is about. They have no idea what we stand for, and that makes me really sad. This internship builds us up and gives us the knowledge to go back to our locals and give them inspiration to say, ‘You know what, we are one! And if you have an issue, we are fighting it together; you don’t have to do this alone.’ I’ve been a union member for almost 12 years, and I didn’t realize the power we have until this summer. Now I know that I have a lot of people backing me up and fighting for me.” – Tracy Officer, UFCW Local 653, Organizing in Seattle Action Project.
“I personally think people should become GOLD interns because you take away more than just the organizing aspect of it—you take away more than just learning about the history of what the union is— I’m going to be taking away friendships that will last a lifetime and connections with people from other places that I never would have interacted with if I hadn’t been a GOLD intern.” – Samantha Christian, UFCW Local 770, Freedom Summer Action Project in Jackson, Mississippi.
“My favorite part of the summer was when we did a sick time action that was a huge success. A lot of people showed up and we had people honking horns, we had customers going in and telling management they support us 100%. We did a petition and ended up collecting about 600 signatures from associates and customers and we presented them to the managers inside. It felt good to feel like we had accomplished something and it was just a really moving experience to see how happy and supportive everyone was.” – Ariana Marie Davis, UFCW Local 21, “Summer for Respect”, Northern California.
“I would say do this program. There are problems in every workplace and the GOLD Internship is a good way to meet people that might have similar stories and possible solutions. You are in a setting in which you can feed off of each other—take ideas and adapt them to your situation.” – Erica Clemmons, UFCW Local 1059, Earned Sick Time Campaign, Chicago, Illinois.
Although the internship has ended, the real work is just beginning. The skills and experience learned by interns will carry beyond this summer – GOLD interns will be an asset to UFCW Locals and the International for years to come.