Posts Categorized: On Point

About 25 members of UFCW Local 152 who work for the Borough of Bradley Beach in New Jersey ratified a new contract on March 3. These members keep the Borough of Bradley Beach running by dispatching public safety personnel to respond to emergencies, cleaning trash, repairing critical infrastructure, and caring for the community’s day-to-day needs.

The long-overdue contract comes after purposely stalled negotiations by the former mayor, Larry Fox, and his administration that were designed to reduce or eliminate benefits previously enjoyed by these members. In early summer 2024, UFCW Local 152 asked the public to help pressure the former mayor to negotiate in good faith by signing an online petition. The local also created lawn signs and launched the “Borough of Bradley Beach Workers Need Your Help” webpage as part of this campaign. After Mayor Al Gubitosi was elected and took office in January 2025, negotiations swiftly moved forward.

The new contract significantly raises the salary step program, and senior members at the top of the wage progression will receive increases based on their length of service. Members will receive up to two years of back-paid wage increases, as well. In addition, changes were made to overtime work, new positions were added to the unit, and members will now receive another paid holiday.

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 is proud to partner with the NACDL in support of the following events for Second Chance Month:

The 2nd Annual Second Chance Month Social Media Campaign: This storytelling campaign will highlight the re-entry experiences of returning citizens and defense counsel who have assisted returning citizens.

The RUTH Foundation’s Second Chances Community Cookout: This annual community cookout is held for returning citizens and their family members to enjoy food and community building in the Richmond, Va., area. Public safety state agencies and non-profit service providers are also joining as sponsors. 

Throughout the year, the NACDL will be hosting expungement clinics in the Tidewater, Va., and Louisville, Ky., areas, along with additional clinics in Cumberland, Md.

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