Posts Categorized: Resources

The UFCW Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Office team held an OSHA 10-hour general industry outreach training for Region 5 locals in Grapevine, Texas, on April 8 and 9.

International and regional staff, and representatives from UFCW Locals 455, 540 and 1000 attended the OSHA 10-hour course, which was facilitated by OSH Office Director Roy McAllister and OSH Specialist Victoria Valentina and emphasized the importance and utility of incorporating safety and health conversations when organizing and servicing our members.

The OSHA 10-hour course covered mandatory topics, such as an introduction to OSHA; walking and working surfaces; personal protective equipment; electrical safety; hazard communications; and exit routes and fire prevention plans. Elective topics covered included safety and health programs; machine guarding; and workplace violence. During the training session, participants applied what they learned to their day-to-day jobs by collaborating on exercises, and brainstorming union-based solutions for hypothetical scenarios revolving around safety and health concerns, such as slips, trips, and falls, and amputation near-misses due to lack of machine guarding.

“[This training] gives me something to back it up when I go and talk to management,” said one of the attendees. “I can go and say, ‘hey man, that’s OSHA code XYZ,’ and they’ll have to oblige me, they can’t just blow me off.”

“I think it’s very informative and it will help us with our co-workers at work making sure we’re safe,” said an attendee. “And the people we’re organizing, too; it can help let them see how the safety at their work can affect their lives, and how a union can help with that, too.”

If your local is interested in coordinating an OSHA 10-hour or 30-hour outreach training with the OSH Office team, contact OSH Office Director Roy McAllister at rmcallister@ufcw.org or OSH Specialist Victoria Valentina at vvalentina@ufcw.org.

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.