December 2021 - Page 2 of 4 - For Local Unions

Growing Our Union Family

This year, workers from around the country, in a variety of industries, joined our union family for a better life. A list of organizing victories is included in this article.

Bambidawn Santiago, along with about 200 of her colleagues who are produce workers at Twin City Foods, Inc., a frozen vegetable processing company in Pasco, Wash., joined UFCW Local 1439 on Jan. 25. Twin City Foods workers are the first in the area to successfully win a vote for union representation.

“The pandemic has made it clear that if we don’t stand up for ourselves, no one else will,” said Bambidawn Santiago, who is a crew lead at Twin City Foods.

These hard-working men and women joined our union family because they were concerned about health and safety issues that were magnified during this pandemic, including the lack of personal protective equipment, being forced to work sick and around others who were infected with the virus, no paid time off to quarantine, and the fact that some of their colleagues lost their lives due to COVID-19.

“The pandemic has made it clear that if we don’t stand up for ourselves, no one else will,” said Santiago, who is a crew lead at Twin City Foods. “I missed two months of work when my husband, my five children and I got sick. Twin City Foods didn’t even offer to help. The company made the situation worse by telling us we couldn’t wear our own masks and leaving many workers to work without health insurance because it takes so long to qualify. I voted for the union so we can get the protections that the company has not provided and to try to make sure that my coworkers do not experience the frustrating situation I faced. I know that a union contract will help protect all of us tremendously.”

Will Inglis and his 22 colleagues at Mariposa Co-op in Philadelphia joined UFCW Local 1776 on March 3. These workers joined our union family because they were concerned about the lack of proper COVID-19 health and safety protocols at the store, as well as a lack of respect for worker concerns and issues from management and human resources.

“Mariposa is something of a neighborhood institution and we want to make it a great place to work,” said Inglis, who is a stocker and receiver at Mariposa Co-op. “We’re doing that by creating a real voice for those who work here.”

On Sept. 14, Andrew Bove and his colleagues at Bull Moose in Salem, N. H., joined UFCW Local 1445. This organizing victory came after Bull Moose fired workers this May for speaking out about COVID-19 safety risks on the job after the store removed its mask mandate. Customers and members of the local community stood with the workers and Bull Moose responded to the backlash by offering to rehire the workers in early June. Bull Moose workers also cited workplace harassment as one of the major reasons for joining our union family. Bull Moose is a retail chain that carries music, movies, and video games in a variety of formats, as well as books and gifts.

“This vote is about justice and security,” said Bove. “Before we got fired, we went weeks without adequate staffing or any kind of increased compensation. When we brought up our concerns to management, the company demonstrated that it considered us completely disposable. Our customers and community stood with us in calling on Bull Moose to do the right thing and the company rehired us. While we have seen some improvements, we want to make sure there is the lasting change that comes from a strong union contract. This vote to unionize with UFCW Local 1445 is our first step to create a better workplace where we have a true voice and can negotiate the better pay and benefits we have earned.”

Here are the organizing victories that appeared in OnPoint this year:

Fred Meyer Grocery Workers Make History in Washington by Joining Local 1439

Wine Sales Representatives Join Local 2D

CVS Workers in California Join Local 1167

FreshDirect Workers Join Our Union Family

Zara Workers in Massachusetts Join Local 1445

More Massachusetts Cannabis Workers Join Local 328

New York Bookstore Workers Join RWDSU/UFCW

New York Agricultural Workers Make History by Joining RWDSU/UFCW

CVS Workers in California Continue to Join UFCW

New Hampshire Retail Workers Join Local 1445

Cannabis Workers in Seattle Join Local 21

New York Health Care Workers Join Local One

Ohio Chemical Workers Join Our Union Family

Florida Health Care Workers Join Local 1625

CVS Workers in California Continue to Join Our Union Family

Vermont Food Co-op Workers Join Local 1459

CVS Workers in California Join Our Union Family

Maryland Custodians and Cleaning Workers Join Local 1994

Texas Poultry Workers Join Local 540 for a Better Life

California Cannabis Workers Stand Together for a Better Life

Grissom Air Reserve Base Workers in Indiana Join Local 700

California Cannabis Workers Continue to Join Local 5

More Sunnyside Cannabis Workers Join Local 881 in Illinois

Food Co-op Workers in Tennessee Join Local 1995

Cafeteria Workers in Connecticut Join Local 371

Hawaii Food Workers Join Our Union Family

More Cannabis Workers Join Local 7

New York Egg Workers Join Local 342 to Strengthen Pay and Benefits

Zara Workers in Connecticut Join Local 919

New York Foragers Market Workers Join Local 1500

More Illinois Cannabis Workers Join Local 881

California Food Delivery Workers Join Local 5 for a Better Life

Cannabis Workers in Rhode Island Make History by Joining Local 328

Windy City Cannabis Workers in Chicago Join Local 881

Pharmacy Workers Join Local 770 for a Better Life

Virginia Gubernatorial Campaign Staff Join Local 400

Workers Across the Country Join Our Union Family

King Soopers Workers in Colorado Join Local 7

More Zara Workers Join Local 888

More Grocery Workers Join Local 7 for a Better Life

Maine Campaign Workers Join Local 1445

More Cannabis Workers in Massachusetts Join Local 1445

Produce Workers Join Local 1439 for a Better Life

More Cannabis Workers Join Our Union Family

More CVS Workers Join Local 135 for a Better Life

Housing Works Employees Stand Together for a Better Life

Negotiating a Better Life for Working Families

UFCW members stood together to negotiate strong contracts this year, and some celebrated the benefit of having a first union contract. A list of bargaining victories is included in this article.

Over 100 members of UFCW Local 880 who work at the Save A Lot Distribution Center in Austinburg, Ohio, ratified a first contract on Oct. 9 that raises wages and improves benefits.

On Jan. 8, Chris Chavez and other members of UFCW Local 5 who are Safeway.com drivers in the San Francisco Bay area ratified their first union contract. This victory took place as Albertsons, the parent company of Safeway, announced plans to fire thousands of non-union grocery drivers in California who are a critical lifeline to customers as COVID-19 cases skyrocket statewide.

The 250 workers joined UFCW Local 5 because they wanted the same good working conditions and benefits received by UFCW members who are Safeway retail workers. The three-year contract, which was ratified by an overwhelming margin, includes guaranteed minimum hours for full-time workers (32 hours) and limits on the use of third-party applications like DoorDash. The contract also includes an increase in employer contributions for health care benefits, the creation of a driver-led health and safety committee, and raises the salary cap from $19 per hour to $22 per hour.

“With the ratification of this contract, we were able to increase our benefits and hours and protect our jobs in this uncertain time,” said Chavez, a driver for Safeway.com.

On June 17, Molly Balbuena and other members of UFCW Local 328 who work at Cresco Labs in Fall River, Mass., ratified a first union contract that raises wages and improves benefits. Cresco Labs is one of the largest multistate cannabis operators in the country and operates a cultivation and processing facility in Fall River, as well as Sunnyside Dispensary.

These workers joined our union family in November of 2020 because they wanted to address issues relating to low pay and the lack of workplace protections. The new three-year contract addresses those issues by securing guaranteed pay increases, which will amount to up to an 18.7 percent pay increase over the next three years. The contract also includes fair scheduling policies, workplace protections, and protects retirement benefits and employee discounts.

“I am so proud of our hard-working team at Cresco for sticking together and securing this victory,” said Balbuena, a three-year employee of Cresco Labs and a member of the negotiating team. “We are so excited to have secured the better future and collective voice we were looking for when we formed our union with the UFCW. We urge all cannabis workers to come together and say, ‘Union Yes!’”

Shawn Williams and over 100 members of UFCW Local 880 who work at the Save A Lot Distribution Center in Austinburg, Ohio, ratified a first contract on Oct. 9 that raises wages and improves benefits.

These workers joined UFCW Local 880 in October of 2019 because they were concerned about insufficient benefits and wanted stability and a voice in the workplace. Their unionization efforts were met with resistance from their employer, including a counteroffer on wages and benefits if the workers decertified from our union. However, the workers, who are employed as loaders, fork lift operators, clerks, inspectors, auditors, order selectors, and sanitation, maintenance, inventory control and quality insurance workers, stood their ground.

The 26-month contract includes the largest wage increases in 18 years. The contract also includes increased paid time off, and a seniority system based on length of service or time worked. In addition, the contract includes a call-in pay guarantee for workers called in to work at a time other than their regular shifts; a grievance and arbitration procedure; a union security agreement; and the formation of a committee to solve issues before they become problems at the distribution center.

“This contract finally says enough is enough,“ said Williams, who is an order selector at the distribution center. “In 16 years at the Save A Lot Distribution Center, I’ve only watched the benefits decline year after year. We were able to not only stop the bleeding, but secure more paid time off, the largest wage increase in 18 years, and the ability to hold the company accountable.”

Here are the negotiating articles that appeared in OnPoint this year:

Kraft Heinz Workers in Delaware Stand Together for a Better Contract

Pilgrim’s Pride Workers in Texas Ratify First Union Contract

Nebraska Meatpacking Worker Paid Leave Approved in Historic Contract

Local 400 Lipton Tea-Unilever Workers in Virginia Ratify New Contract

New Heaven Hill Contract Preserves Good Kentucky Jobs

Local 152 Health Care Workers Ratify New Contract

Ohio Local 880 Grocery Distribution Workers Approve First Union Contract

CVS Workers in California Stand Together for a Better Contract

Colorado Health Care Workers Approve First UFCW Union Contract

New Jersey Health Care Workers Strengthen Pay in New Contract

Local 2 Pork Processing Workers Stand Together for a Better Contract