Monthly Archives: October 2016

On Oct. 23, UFCW Local 1208 partnered with United Way of Robeson County to distribute much needed food to members across southern North Carolina and northern South Carolina who are still struggling to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Matthew. The event, which was held at the Family Dollar in Lumberton, provided assistance to over 150 workers and their families. Members of UFCW Local 204, along with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Southeast North Carolina and corporate partners like Kroger and Kellogg’s, also donated items to help Local 1208 members and their families.

Stephanie Franklin, a member of Local 1208 who has worked at Smithfield Foods in Tar Heel for more than 11 years and lives in Lumberton, was one of the recipients.

“The whole area was affected by Hurricane Matthew,” Franklin said. “I’ve lived in North Carolina my whole life, and this was one of the worst storms I’ve seen. My son is four years old, and we were stuck in our trailer for two days during the storm and we didn’t have enough food or water. Our trailer is up high, but the bathroom ceiling caved in a little bit and the water was still up to my waist.”

“The relief effort meant a lot and shows that Local 1208 is there for you. I appreciate everything they gave me and my son,” Franklin said. “We’re slowly getting back to normal.”

“Hurricane Matthew brought incredible hardship to our friends and neighbors, and it is times like these that we must come together to help those in need” said Ella Ellerbe, who has worked in packaging at Smithfield for ten years. “Our union family, working with our partners, are proud to help our local members and their families get the food assistance they need. We’re committed to doing all that we can to help our members recover from this storm because no hard-working family should ever have to struggle alone.”

UFCW Local 1208 worked with Smithfield Foods to ensure that everyone at the plant in Tar Heel received a full week’s pay when Hurricane Matthew struck, regardless of actual time on the job. Members of Local 1208 have contributed more than $10,000 to United Way of Robeson County to help their community recover from Hurricane Matthew.

On Oct. 24, the UFCW International, UFCW Local 328, and the National Guestworker Alliance (NGA) issued a statement regarding workers at Bob’s Tire Co. and BJ’s Temp Service in New Bedford, Mass., who successfully stopped their employers from retaliating against them for voting to join UFCW Local 328. The UFCW International, UFCW Local 328 and the NGA supported the workers in resisting the companies’ attempt to intimidate workers through the threat of deportation.

In September of 2015, workers who are jointly employed by Bob’s Tire and BJ’s Temp Service voted overwhelmingly to join UFCW Local 328. Shortly after this happened, the employers began retaliating against the workers’ decision to unionize with intimidation, including threats of immigration enforcement. On October 21, 2016, recognizing that workers at Bob’s Tire and BJ’s Temp Service were involved in a significant labor dispute, the government refused to be a weapon wielded against hard-working taxpayers trying to make a better life for themselves. The agency involved made clear its policy was to not interfere with labor disputes and they would not be used by the company to retaliate against their workers.

“The hard-working men and women of Bob’s Tire Co. and BJ’s Temp Service voted to join our union family for a better life, and it is irresponsible and wrong for any company to use threats and intimidation, or attempt to manipulate our government agencies to try and stop them,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone. “By standing together with our community partners, we have shown our commitment to providing the better life these hard-working employees have rightfully earned. We look forward to negotiating a good contract for these workers, and expect Bob’s Tire Co. and BJ’s Temp Service to respect the values of our community and their customers.”

“At a time when companies are increasingly using temp agencies like BJ’s as a way to source exploitable workers, this victory matters for every worker in the United States,” said Saket Soni, executive director of the NGA. “ICE did the right thing and refused to let the companies use it as a weapon against organizing. That’s a victory for immigrant workers who stand up to expose abuse and improve their workplaces—and for the tens of millions of U.S.-born workers who labor alongside them. All workers deserve protection from threats of deportation when they come forward to report abuse.”