Monthly Archives: June 2026

Members of RWDSU/UFCW Local 1102 who are employed as food service workers at Chartwells Compass Group at Iona University in New Rochelle, N.Y., recently ratified a new contract with artificial intelligence (AI) protections.

The three-year contract delivers unprecedented wage increases, the highest in the unit’s history, while fully maintaining the members’ strong health and benefit coverage. In addition, workers secured an increased uniform allowance, a key quality-of-life improvement that reflects the professional value of their work.

While these financial gains are historic, the agreement also addresses a modern challenge facing workers: the impact of technology in the workplace. Following the August 2025 opening of a new dining hall featuring AI-powered ordering kiosks and “Just Walk Out” grab-and-go technology, the union saw firsthand how automation can displace experienced staff.

“AI has the potential to impact all of our jobs,” said RWDSU/UFCW Local 1102 President Jack Caffey. “That’s why we are making sure we get in front of the changes AI is bringing so members don’t get hurt and our contracts stay strong.”

Recognizing this shift, RWDSU/UFCW Local 1102 fought for and secured critical new contract language to protect members from the ripple effects of technological change. The union recognized that even when jobs are not eliminated, automation often leads to arbitrary reassignments that disrupt seniority and creates a domino effect across the campus.

This new language codifies seniority protections, ensuring that as technology evolves, our members are not left behind. By securing these safeguards, RWDSU/UFCW Local 1102 has set a new standard for labor in the digital age, protecting the stability, fairness, and dignity of work at Iona University.

On May 26, the UFCW released a statement in support of a Congressional call to commute the sentences of all people in federal prisons on nonviolent cannabis-related charges.

Representative Steve Cohen (Tenn.-9), Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Representative Steven Horsford (Nev.-4) recently sent a letter co-signed by 26 members of Congress to President Trump and Pardon Czar Alice Marie Johnson seeking presidential commutations for nonviolent marijuana offenses, citing the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent rescheduling of FDA-approved marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III and the long sentences for thousands of people serving time in federal prison for marijuana-associated offenses. 

“The Trump administration has the opportunity to rectify the generational harms caused by the ‘War on Drugs,’ and can do so with the stroke of a pen,” said UFCW International President Milton Jones in a statement. “Commuting the sentences of people in prison on nonviolent offenses related to cannabis will help deliver justice to them and their loved ones.”

“The UFCW, as America’s cannabis union, supports federal decriminalization of cannabis. That means contending with the injustices of the past and building a better future with a regulatory framework to ensure that cannabis workers have the health, safety, and labor protections they deserve. The leadership of Representative Cohen, Senator Booker, and Representative Horsford makes clear that we will not forget the countless people harmed by the ‘War on Drugs.’”