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On May 28, the UFCW issued a statement in opposition to the House Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill. In the statement, the UFCW stressed that the Senate Agriculture Committee’s bill is the right framework for an effective Farm Bill and includes UFCW priorities, such as allotting millions of dollars for America’s essential food and farmworkers; creating badly needed labor standards for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) delivery drivers; and ensuring that federal money goes towards good jobs.

“Last night, the House Agriculture Committee passed a Farm Bill that fails food workers and the communities they serve,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “This bill, in addition to cutting SNAP benefits over time, does far too little for the millions of food workers who are drivers of this economy.”

“Our members do essential work picking, processing, selling, and serving our food. Their voices and concerns deserve to be an essential part of agriculture policy, not ignored entirely. The Senate Agriculture Committee framework is the kind of proposal to keep farmers farming, families fed, and rural communities and food workers strong. The UFCW calls on the House to work with their Senate counterparts to write a better Farm Bill that keeps food workers and the communities they serve at the forefront of the conversation.”

The month of June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate the accomplishments of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals in our union family. Pride Month is also an opportunity to reach out to 2SLGBTQ+ workers seeking union representation and commit to the ongoing pursuit of equal justice and true equity for the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

UFCW OUTreach has several free resources available on their website and by request to help locals celebrate Pride Month, including a new 2024 Union Pride sticker (“Vote: Your Rights Depend on It”); pronoun pins and stickers; and updated educational pamphlets in English, Spanish and French.

Many UFCW locals across the U.S. and Canada already participate in Pride Month events, which are another way to show workers who want to organize that the UFCW is 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive. The UFCW OUTreach Pride Guide is available to help locals show their support for all of our 2SLGBTQ+ members during Pride Month and you can get more information here. UFCW OUTreach is also hosting training sessions on June 5 at 2 p.m. ET titled “2SLGBTQ+ Microaggressions in the Workplace” and on June 18 at 2 p.m. ET titled “The Art of Allyship in the Workplace and Beyond!” You can register for these trainings here.  

“We urge all local unions to speak out against the anti-2SLGBTQ+ legislation and hate messages happening across our countries,” said UFCW OUTreach Chair Michele Kessler (she/her). “Let’s  be loud and proud in our support for our 2SLGBTQ+ members and their families. Our workplaces must be inclusive and safe for all.”

You can learn more about UFCW OUTreach here. If your local is interested in sharing photos of events or highlighting a member during Pride Month, please submit that information to Julie Anderson at janderson@ufcw.org.