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    Right to Organize

July 16, 2013

UFCW President Hansen on Senate Rules Agreement

WASHINGTON, D.C. Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement after the Senate reached an agreement on nominations to the Department of Labor, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), and other key posts.

“When it comes to the Senate, this is the best day for workers and their families in years, if not longer. Today a path was created to confirm a Secretary of Labor with a track record of standing up for workers’ rights, a fully functioning NLRB that can carry out its important mission of promoting collective bargaining and protecting the right to organize, and the first director of the CFPB so everyday consumers have an advocate to defend them from the predatory practices of big banks.

“Today would not have been possible without the voices of millions of Americans—including many UFCW members—who have demanded that the Senate end the gridlock and give nominees to important posts an up or down vote. While a change in rules did not occur, today’s agreement is a direct result of those pushing for a more functional Senate. I sincerely hope this marks the beginning, not the end, of a process where executive branch nominees are considered in a fair and timely fashion.”

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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.

April 9, 2013

UFCW President Hansen Statement on NLRB Nominations

WASHINGTON, D.C. Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement after President Obama made three nominations to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

“Senate Republicans have made a mockery of their constitutional responsibility to advise and consent on nominations to the NLRB. Senator Lindsey Graham says the Board is out of control but it is his caucus that has made obstruction an art form. President Obama could nominate Mitch McConnell to the NLRB and Senate Republicans would still likely block him. Their motive is clear—they do not believe in the right to organize and resent that the agency charged with protecting workers is actually doing its job. Later this week, House Republicans will go a step further and consider a disgraceful bill to shut down the Board all together. The Senate now has before it a full package of nominees to the NLRB. It is time for Republicans to put ideology aside, do their job, and allow for prompt consideration. America’s workers deserve nothing less.”

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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.

March 26, 2013

Iowa UFCW Locals Endorse Braley for Senate

WASHINGTON, D.C. Locals 222, 230, 431, 440 and 1149 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) today announced their endorsement of Congressman Bruce Braley for the U.S. Senate.

“We are proud to endorse Bruce Braley for Senate,” the locals said. “He is a ferocious champion of working families and the middle class.  His experience growing up in Brooklyn as the son of a grain elevator operator and a teacher helped shape his passion for economic justice.”

In the House of Representatives, Braley has proven himself as a tough and smart leader. He has fought to ensure equal pay for equal work, strengthen the right to organize, and reform America’s broken immigration system.

“Bruce has been a rising star from day one—and the people of Iowa have benefitted,” the locals said. “He never forgets where he came from or who he represents.”

Braley is running to replace Senator Tom Harkin who is retiring after five outstanding terms of service. As Chairman of the Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee, Harkin has put the needs of workers front and center. “Tom Harkin never stopped fighting for us,” the locals said. “We can think of no one better to follow in his footsteps than Bruce Braley.”

“We look forward to doing everything we can to help make Bruce our next U.S. Senator,” the locals said.

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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.

March 18, 2013

UFCW President Hansen Statement on the Nomination of Tom Perez as Labor Secretary

WASHINGTON, D.C. Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement in response to the nomination of Tom Perez as the next Secretary of Labor.

“The UFCW strongly supports the nomination of Tom Perez as Labor Secretary. Tom led the Maryland Department of Labor with excellence and is strongly qualified for this post. Now more than ever, workers need a champion at the Department that will fight for fair wages, safe workplaces, and the right to organize. I am confident Tom Perez will provide that leadership.”

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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.

March 13, 2012

WISCONSIN: Voter ID Law Stricken Down by Judge

Click here for original article by Tim Mak on Politico.com

The move, which comes just days after another judge temporarily halted the law, will have consequences for the upcoming April 3 presidential primary in Wisconsin, which state officials had hoped to apply the law to.

“A government that undermines the very foundation of its existence — the people’s inherent, pre-constitutional right to vote — imperils its legitimacy as a government by the people, for the people, and especially of the people,” Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess wrote in issuing the permanent injunction, according to the wire service.

“Voter fraud is no more poisonous to our democracy than voter suppression,” he added in his eight-page ruling.

In Niess’s view, the law would have eliminated the right to vote for certain eligible voters who lack sufficient resources to obtain valid identification.

The voter ID law would have required voters to show photo ID, such as a driver’s license or other state-issued identification, in order to vote.

There are currently four lawsuits that are involved with challenging Wisconsin’s law, part of the ongoing national battle on whether voter ID laws are appropriate.

Currently, 15 states have voted ID laws, and pending legislation in 31 states propose to introduce or strengthen voter ID requirements, reports the AP.

Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has said he will appeal the injunction.

March 1, 2012

UFCW Local 1473 Endorses Kathleen Falk for Wisconsin Governor

“The end is near for Scott Walker,” said UFCW Local 1473 President John Eiden. “He has abused his office in ways that defy comprehension—inflicting pain and hardship on Wisconsin working families to line the pockets of his corporate buddies. He’s been both a statewide disaster and a national disgrace.”
Eiden said he feels confident the people of Wisconsin will remove Walker from office but stressed that a recall is not enough. “Replacing Governor Walker with a champion for workers is the most important thing we can do,” he said. “Kathleen Falk is the right person for the job.”
As Dane County Executive, Falk used the collective bargaining process to achieve both fiscal responsibility and fairness for workers. She saved taxpayers $11 million dollars by negotiating contracts that included wage and benefit concessions without taking away workers’ rights. Falk has led the charge against Walker’s war on workers and provides the perfect contrast to his extreme policies. She is running on a platform of good jobs, successful schools, and affordable health care.

A poll released Tuesday showed Falk leading Walker in a hypothetical matchup. “UFCW Local 1473 will be working day and night to make Kathleen Falk our next Governor,” Eiden said. “One year of Scott Walker has been one year too many. It is time to fix this terrible mistake and return our great state back to someone who will make us proud.”

February 1, 2012

Indiana Passes “Right-To-Work”

Just days before billions of people will be tuning in to watch Indianapolis host the Superbowl, the Indiana GOP is putting the wrong kind of spotlight on the Hoosier state. Governor Mitch Daniels will sign “right-to-work” into law today, making Indiana the first state since Oklahoma to adopt this destructive law.

As you know, “right-to-work” is not about rights or work. It is, as President Hansen said in the Huffington Post, “the ultimate transfer of wealth from the 99 percent to the 1 percent.”

You can guarantee that special interest groups, big corporations, and anti-worker zealots will try to use their victory in Indiana as leverage to pass “right-to-work” in Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Maine, New Hampshire, and in more and more states around the country.

Not on our watch! Click here to join our rapid response program so that together, we can fight back against anti-worker attacks. You can also sign up by using your cell phone to text the letters UFCW to 698329.

Join today to make sure workers across the country are protected!

January 6, 2012

UFCW Members in Indiana Continue to Fight Right-to-Work Legislation

On January 4, they held meetings with their legislators to reiterate that RTW is wrong for Hoosier families.  Amy Hale, a member of UFCW Local 700 who works at Kroger in Fishers, IN, was one of the participants., “I believe in the middle class and I’m fighting for workers’ rights and to keep my head above water,” she said. Without my union I wouldn’t be where I am today. If this legislation passes, incomes would drop significantly. Our standard of living would go down. We can’t let that happen.”

While Indiana Republicans control every lever of state government, the process requires a working quorum, which House Democrats have denied them to this point. “We refuse to let the most controversial public policy bill of the decade be railroaded through with the public being denied their fair and adequate input,” said House Democratic Leader and UFCW-ally Patrick Bauer.

In the meantime, workers from UFCW and several other labor unions continue to voice their concerns to legislators about the negative effects RTW will have on the quality of life for Hoosier working families.

November 8, 2011

Statement from UFCW International President Joe Hansen on Election Results in Ohio

“The repeal of Senate Bill 5 is bigger than just one law or one state. It sends a message to all those who would try to balance the budget on the backs of our workers: you do so at your own peril. It shows that the right to bargain collectively for a better life is fundamental—not some perk that can be stripped away on a whim. The votes cast today in Columbus and Cleveland and everywhere in between will have aftershocks in Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, and Washington D.C.

“America’s working families want a good job that pays a fair wage, decent affordable health care, access to a quality education for their kids, and a little money left in the bank so they can retire with dignity. They also understand that the economic mess we find ourselves in today was caused by Wall Street, not Main Street. They know the guilty parties are speculators and predatory lenders, not teachers and first responders. Extreme politicians like Governor Kasich are waging war on the middle class.

“Today’s vote shows that we are fighting back. And better yet, we are winning. I am proud of the UFCW and its members for their great work in Ohio. We understand that an attack on one worker—whether public or private sector, union or non-union—is an attack on all workers. We are proud to be part of diverse coalition of activists, including the entire labor movement, who dedicated countless hours to the fight for workers’ rights in Ohio.

“Tonight we know that America’s middle class will no longer sit idly by. The silent majority is silent no more. Every elected official that would do us harm should take notice.”

November 7, 2011

I Made A Difference in Ohio:

Wow. What an amazing eight months. From gathering signatures to helping fill out absentee applications to registering new voters, I have had the experience of a lifetime I will never forget, and I will be forever grateful. I made a difference by helping to give voters a voice. I came to them and put a face on the issue. Now, no matter what the outcome, they have been able to use their voices to speak up for good jobs. To speak up for Ohio workers.

I registered my grandson, his best friends and a young lady in high school just waiting for the opportunity to be able to vote. The future of Ohio will be okay in the hands of these young people. Registered another eighteen year old young woman who was balancing an infant on her hip while taking care of her handicapped mother in a poverty stricken neighborhood. Went away with the thought she was going to improve her corner of the world, starting with her signature.

I was in Circleville the last day of voter registration and talked to a seventy year old first time voter who had a date with her son to go to the polls. My high school government teacher came to a drive thru petition signing and never had to leave his car. I’ve had conversations with people from 18 to 98, some I will never forget. So many stories.

The new friends I’ve met, again – wow. My partner in this venture has literally picked me up, dusted me off and inspired me to go on. We can just look at each other and burst out laughing. We are starting to finish each others sentences, a little scary. And lastly I am inspired by my union leadership and will be FOREVER grateful that I can be involved in this effort to help working families across Ohio.

I made a difference.

Juanita Smith is a UFCW member and works as a meatcutter in Chillicothe, Ohio.