Monthly Archives: October 2020

About 50 members of UFCW Local 152 who work at DWK Life Sciences in Millville, N.J., ratified a new contract on Sept. 17 that raises wages and protects benefits. Members at DWK Life Sciences produce a comprehensive range of precision labware, including lab equipment and glassware. 

The new contract raises wages and includes defined rates for all classifications. Team Leads and Trainers will now receive a bonus rate on top of their base pay in an effort to reward members for their skills and service. For the life of the contract, DWK Life Sciences members will maintain the same level of quality health insurance benefits. In compliance with the New Jersey Sick Leave Law, members will now be entitled to use up to 40 hours of their vacation time in the event of an illness. Finally, seniority language was added to better define rules and protect long-time workers.

Members of the Negotiating Committee included Assistant Director of Collective Bargaining Lisa Sanders; Director of Organizing Chad Brooks; Union Representative Matte Kane; and Shop Stewards Irene Johnson, Charmaine Brown, and Jeffrey Wright.

A new report by the UCLA Labor Center and UFCW OUTreach highlights the important role that unions play in creating safer and more equitable workplaces for LGBTQ+ workers in the U.S. and Canada.

The report, titled Union Values and LGBTQ+ Worker Experiences: A Survey of UFCW Workers in the United States and Canada, includes a survey of 1,004 UFCW members, one-third of whom identified as LGBTQ+, in regions across the U.S. and Canada.

Three-quarters of survey participants said their local union takes concrete actions to support LGBTQ+ workers and 70 percent said LGBTQ+ workers are protected by their union contracts. In addition, 68 percent of survey participants said it should be a top priority for unions to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation on the job.

“The union has the power to address systemic inequities that affect LGBTQ+ workers by utilizing collective bargaining agreements, as well as educational training that increases awareness of the urgency to improve the workplace for LGBTQ+ members,” said UFCW OUTreach Chair Michele Kessler.

“When direct actions are taken by union leaders, workplaces are safer for LGBTQ+ members,” said Jean Tong, a union representative for UFCW Local 770. “Equally important is the thoughtful work our union has done to expand leadership opportunities for LGBTQ+ workers to participate in the decision-making process.”

While the survey respondents generally support LGBTQ+ workers’ rights and contract protections, the study also explores the ongoing on-the-job challenges LGBTQ+ workers face.

“Nearly a quarter of LGBTQ+ workers reported being harassed because of their sexual orientation or gender identity and 43 percent had heard negative comments or stereotypes in their current workplace,” said Sid Jordan, a co-author of the report and a researcher at the UCLA Labor Center. “This points to the cultural and structural changes that will be needed to give meaning to nondiscrimination policies.”

The full report is available here.