Posts Tagged: UFCW Local 1445

UFCW members like Susan Richardson from UFCW Local 21, are making their voices heard on the opinion pages of newspapers across the country.

UFCW members are making their voices heard on the opinion pages of newspapers across the country. In the past few weeks, UFCW members have had op-eds and a letter to the editor published on topics ranging from Labor Day and the benefits of union membership to the recent Market Basket grocery boycott.

Susan Richardson, a grocery store worker and UFCW Local 21 executive board member, had an op-ed published in the Cascadia Weekly (scroll down to page 6) regarding Labor Day and her support of the Employee Empowerment Act, new legislation that would amend the National Labor Relations Act to give victims of labor discrimination the same protections available under the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

“Narrowing the gap between rich and poor is essential to rebuilding our economy, but that can’t happen if workers lack the power and protection to bargain for better wages and benefits.”

Michael Pajewski, a member of UFCW Local 23, had a letter to the editor published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette regarding Labor Day and how all workers have benefited from unions.

“Whether you are a union worker or not, you have enjoyed the benefits of union negotiations: the 40-hour work week, holiday pay, vacation time, overtime pay and safety standards where you work.”

And Jeff Goldhaber, a Stop & Shop worker and UFCW Local 1445 shop steward, had an op-ed published in Labor Notes regarding Market Basket workers and the benefits of having a union voice on the job.

“Customers boycotted Market Basket not because of loyalty to a CEO they’ve never met. They boycotted because they wanted to support the store workers they know and preserve the community that’s been built up around these stores. If we really want to save Market Basket, we need to address the workers’ concerns.”

These are just a few examples of how UFCW members are making their voices heard in their local newspapers.  We look forward to highlighting additional op-eds and letters to the editor by UFCW members throughout the year.

The GOLD internship program comes to a close after four weeks.

The GOLD Internship Program came to a close last week at a final debrief in Chicago. Thirty six interns reflected upon their four week action projects and planned for how they could be effective activists when they return to their local unions. Action projects took place all across the country.

• In Chicago: GOLD interns helped deliver 25,000 signatures to the Mayor in support of paid sick leave.

• In Mississippi and North Carolina: GOLD interns helped hundreds of people register to vote.

• In California: GOLD interns helped the “Summer for Respect” campaign in their fight to give workers a stronger voice.

• In San Francisco: GOLD interns campaigned for the Retail Worker Bill of Rights, a bill which would guarantee fair schedules and full-time hours for retail workers.

• In Iowa City: GOLD interns partnered with the Center for Worker Justice to document cases of wage theft.

• In Washington D.C., South Carolina, and Florida: GOLD interns traveled to poultry facilities to capture stories from UFCW members who were injured while on the job.

Here’s what interns said about their GOLD internship experience: “One of the biggest things I learned from this program is that you can make a difference if you just try. We held a workshop to inform immigrant workers of their rights, and help them with the housing process. It was amazing to see how much they appreciated something that was fairly easy and simple to do. Making a difference in the community is something new to me—I’m not a steward and I wasn’t ever overly involved with my union, but through GOLD I learned a lot and am looking forward to going home and helping to improve my own community.” – Gerardo Garcia, UFCW Local 99, Iowa City Worker Center Action Project.

“It was a great summer – it just felt good to help people and be a part of a movement. Instead of just saying ‘I don’t like my job’ or ‘we need a raise’ this internship taught me how important it is to stand up and involve yourself and your co-workers. If someone were considering this program, I would tell them to do it. If I learned anything this summer, it’s that the more active people we have in our union, the better life will be for workers everywhere.”  – Fawzi Ghantous, UFCW Local 1445, Organizing in Maryland Action Project.

“I became a GOLD intern because too many union members, myself partially included, don’t fully understand what our union is about. They have no idea what we stand for, and that makes me really sad. This internship builds us up and gives us the knowledge to go back to our locals and give them inspiration to say, ‘You know what, we are one! And if you have an issue, we are fighting it together; you don’t have to do this alone.’ I’ve been a union member for almost 12 years, and I didn’t realize the power we have until this summer. Now I know that I have a lot of people backing me up and fighting for me.” – Tracy Officer, UFCW Local 653, Organizing in Seattle Action Project.

“I personally think people should become GOLD interns because you take away more than just the organizing aspect of it—you take away more than just learning about the history of what the union is— I’m going to be taking away friendships that will last a lifetime and connections with people from other places that I never would have interacted with if I hadn’t been a GOLD intern.” – Samantha Christian, UFCW Local 770, Freedom Summer Action Project in Jackson, Mississippi.

“My favorite part of the summer was when we did a sick time action that was a huge success. A lot of people showed up and we had people honking horns, we had customers going in and telling management they support us 100%. We did a petition and ended up collecting about 600 signatures from associates and customers and we presented them to the managers inside. It felt good to feel like we had accomplished something and it was just a really moving experience to see how happy and supportive everyone was.” – Ariana Marie Davis, UFCW Local 21, “Summer for Respect”, Northern California.

“I would say do this program. There are problems in every workplace and the GOLD Internship is a good way to meet people that might have similar stories and possible solutions. You are in a setting in which you can feed off of each other—take ideas and adapt them to your situation.” – Erica Clemmons, UFCW Local 1059, Earned Sick Time Campaign, Chicago, Illinois.

Although the internship has ended, the real work is just beginning. The skills and experience learned by interns will carry beyond this summer – GOLD interns will be an asset to UFCW Locals and the International for years to come.