Posts Categorized: Events

During “Second Chance Month” this April, the Civil Rights and Community Action Department is helping our members and other hard-working Americans with prior nonviolent convictions clear their records and register to vote.

Since 2016, the Civil Rights and Community Action Department has partnered with locals and allies to expunge the criminal records of some of our members and other workers in communities free of charge so that they can register to vote and have access to other services, such as affordable housing and education. To date, the UFCW has helped hundreds of people navigate their state’s expungement and sealing laws and clear their records. In 2021, the UFCW formalized an agreement with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) to further assist with our expungement efforts.

The UFCW, along with the NACDL, is cosponsoring an expungement clinic in Cumberland, Md., on Friday, April 5, and you can get more information here. The UFCW and NACDL are also cosponsoring a webinar titled “The Criminalization of Voting: Front-End Community Engagement” on Tuesday, April 30, and you can register here. For more information about Second Chance Month activities and opportunities, visit NACDL – Second Chance Month.

If your local is interested in working with the UFCW International to help people clear their records and register to vote during this important election year, contact Civil Rights and Community Action Department Director LaQuita Honeysucker at lhoneysucker@ufcw.org or Confidential Secretary Ben Cassel at bcassel@ufcw.org.

The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) recently released a new report that highlights the benefits that Latino workers and labor unions have by joining forces to build worker power and a broader labor movement. The report titled, “Latino Workers and Unions: A Strategic Partnership for America’s Success,” was released during the LCLAA’s National Executive Board Meeting in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 30.

The UFCW, along with several other unions, sponsored the report. UFCW Local 2 President Martin Rosas; UFCW Local 888 Secretary-Treasurer/Fund Director Rosalba Perez; and UFCW Local 1445 President Fernando Lemus serve on the LCLAA National Executive Board and were present during the launch of the new report. Alejandro Miranda, the international organizer for Region 2, also attended the board meeting and serves as a board member of the LCLAA Washington, D.C. chapter. Officials from the White House, U.S. Department of Labor, and AFL-CIO also attended the board meeting and gave presentations about immigration and political and field mobilization.

While Latino workers represent an increasing share of the U.S. population, workforce and voting bloc, they continue to face obstacles and challenges in the workplace, including the lack of access to health insurance and wage disparities. The new report highlights the increased potential that Latinos and unions can have when working together as unions search for new members and Latinos seek the security and better wages and benefits that union jobs can offer.

“Latino Workers and Unions: A Strategic Partnership for America’s Success” is available in English and Spanish and you can read the full report here.