On March 13, the UFCW released a statement in support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Product of USA rule, which will protect jobs in the meatpacking and food processing industries. This new rule mandates that any meat, poultry, and egg-based products that are labeled as “product of the USA” must be derived from an animal that was born, raised, and slaughtered in the country.
“We applaud Secretary Vilsack and the USDA for the new commonsense Product of USA rule that protects America’s essential meatpacking workers and keeps good union jobs in this country,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “For far too long, large multinational corporations have been allowed to trick consumers and cheat ranchers by repackaging meat from other countries as made in the USA. Now, consumers can shop with confidence, knowing that when they buy products with the USA label, their money will actually go toward supporting America’s ranchers and meatpacking and processing workers.”