Staff from the International’s Organizing and Communications Departments held a training session for UFCW Region 5 Special Project Union Representatives (SPURs) at UFCW Local 1000’s office in Grapevine, Texas, on March 12 to 14.
Nine UFCW Region 5 SPURs from Kroger stores throughout the South attended the conference, which was designed to help train these new SPURs on how to be effective organizers for nonunion grocery retail locations in the region. The communications training session included how to use digital tools like texting to enhance a SPUR’s organizing capacity. The Organizing Department led participants through a reflective engagement training, which helped participants learn how to improve their ability to listen to what issues workers are concerned about, reflect on the conversation and issues of importance, and connect workers’ concerns and stories to each other. The Organizing Department also facilitated a workshop that invited SPURs to practice their organizing skills in a series of interactive scenarios.
The SPURs found the training helpful as they prepare to engage with nonunion grocery workers across the state.
“Being able to master the seeking part [of reflective engagement]… is very important because you need to know which questions to ask, when to ask those questions, and how to ask those questions,” said Regina McKinzie, who works at Kroger. “What we learned with the seeking questions is that you’ve got to put yourself in the worker’s shoes. That was the most impactful for me….Without the SPUR training, I would not have moved forward.”
If your local is interested in holding a similar training for organizers and SPURs, contact D.J. Totty in the International’s Organizing Department at dtotty@ufcw.org.
Communications training sessions are available to all UFCW locals. If your local is interested in working with the International’s Communications Department to hold a training session, contact Jess Raimundo at jraimundo@ufcw.org