Posts Categorized: Resources

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

2023 marks 50 years of mass incarceration in the U.S. More than 70 million Americans have a criminal record that creates significant barriers to employment, economic stability, and successful reentry into society. Thousands of legal and regulatory restrictions prevent these individuals from accessing employment, housing, voting, education, business licensing and other basic opportunities. Because of these barriers, nearly 75 percent of people who were formerly incarcerated are still unemployed a year after being released.

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 the community 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 to further assist with our expungement efforts.

“We must support workers who are committed to rectifying their mistakes, redefining themselves, and making meaningful contributions to society,” said Director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department LaQuita Honeysucker. “We do that by providing them with a second chance to fully access the ballot box, contribute to their communities, and succeed.”

For more information on Second Chance Month activities and opportunities, please visit NACDL – Second Chance Month. If your local is interested in working with the UFCW International to help people clear their records and change their lives for the better, contact Director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department LaQuita Honeysucker at lhoneysucker@ufcw.org.

The UFCW Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Office and UFCW Local 324 recently held a health and safety training session for members of UFCW Local 324 in Buena Park, Calif. The OSH Office was invited to participate in the training session with the local.  

Over 200 UFCW Local 324 stewards who work in grocery retail jobs at Vons, Pavilions, Ralphs, Stater Bros. Markets, Super A Foods, Albertsons and Gelson’s participated in the two-day training session, which included an overview of workers’ rights, ergonomic safety, hazard recognition and OSHA standards. The stewards were engaged in the training process and asked questions that were specific to their industry markets. The stewards also felt the training session helped them understand their rights as workers when dealing with management.

Earlier this year, the OSH Office held two health and safety training sessions in Texas for UFCW Local 540 stewards who work in the meatpacking industry.

These health and safety training sessions are available to all UFCW locals. If your local is interested in working with the OSH Office to hold a training session, have your Region Director contact Roy McAllister, the director of the OSH Office, at rmcallister@ufcw.org.