Posts Categorized: Legislation and Politics

The UFCW GOLD Internship Program provides growth opportunities for learning and development in order to raise up future union leaders and activists.

In June 2014, the UFCW accepted 36 promising young members from across the country into the first ever session of the UFCW GOLD Internship program, which launched in Chicago.

Now, after a wildly successful first year, the GOLD program is preparing for its 2015 session. The UFCW GOLD Internship Program provides growth opportunities for learning and development in order to raise up future union leaders and activists.

The 2015 program will select 36 rank-and-file members in the United States to participate in a seven week program.  The program will run from June 21 – August 5, 2015.  Interns are required to participate in the entire length of the program.  All interns should have a valid driver’s license and be flexible with travel outside of their home area.

During the program there will be a four-week action project that interns will be individually assigned.  Action projects will be assigned within one of five areas: Legislative and Political Action, Organizing, Collective Bargaining, Civil Rights, and Health and Safety.  The 2014 action projects included working on a earned sick leave ordinance in the city of Chicago, working on a Retail Bill of Rights in San Francisco, participating in the Summer for Respect alongside Walmart workers fighting for justice on the job, and many other important projects relating to the welfare of working people.

You can learn much more about the upcoming session, and what previous GOLD participants learned from their experiences, by heading to the updated website: http://gold.ufcw.org/.

Be sure to also check out the video recap of the 2014 session, where participants share their experiences and talk about what service projects they worked on.

“Getting the chance to come out to Chicago, meeting different people from different locals—it’s been an eye opener,” said 2014 UFCW Local 21 participant Bruce Le.

Fellow participant Samantha Christian also noted that after completing the program she felt like “we are all related—we are all brothers and sisters.  I’ve never been as comfortable with people as I have been with the people I met here.”

Melissa Berry said she applied to become a GOLD participant because she felt that “a lot of people don’t know the role of their union, or what part they can play in it.  I was eager to meet new people and learn about how we can spread the message.”

Tracy Officer, who worked on a service project in the Seattle area, says that “this internship builds us up—it gives us the knowledge to go back to our locals and give them the inspiration to say, ‘We are one.  If you have an issue, we are fighting it together, and you don’t have to do it alone.’  I’ve been in the union for almost twelve years and I didn’t know that until this program.”

The deadline to apply to the 2015 session is April 1, 2015.  You can find both the English and Spanish applications at http://gold.ufcw.org/application/.

Members of UFCW Local 1564 traveled to the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe to lobby their legislators against right to work.

On February 12, nearly 100 members of UFCW Local 1564 traveled to the New Mexico State Capitol in Santa Fe to lobby their legislators against right to work legislation. During meetings with key senators, UFCW members made the case that right to work would have a severely negative impact on New Mexico.

“Right to work would allow companies to lower wages,” said UFCW Local 1564 member Andre Leger, who works at Smith’s. “It’s an attack on workers who are already struggling to make ends meet.”

Annette and Mark Ayers, along with their adult daughter, all work at Smith’s and are all members of UFCW Local 1564. “Workers need to have a say in their own future,” Mark said. “That is why we are here.” “We work at a lower rate than the rest of the country and right to work would make wages even lower,” said Annette. “Our state simply cannot afford that.” Annette added: “We have a single daughter who works for Smith’s. She’s able to pay for her own apartment, afford a car, and get the basics in life. If right to work passed, she’d be living in our house.”

Several members talked about the importance of the UFCW being represented in the halls of the Captiol. “If you don’t say anything about how you feel, you almost always lose,” said UFCW Local 1564 member Alek Dewispeleare, who works at Smith’s. Fellow UFCW Local 1564 member and Smith’s worker Mark Sokolowski agreed: “I’ve been a union member for over 30 years,” he said. “No one forced me to join. I’ve been able to support my family. I won’t stand by and let career politicians take that away.”

Annette Ayers talked about the emotion of the Lobby Day. “When the Senator told me he was against right to work, my eyes filled with tears,” she said. “It gives you hope that there are people truly working for you.”