WWW.UFCW.ORGMarch 5, 2013 Volume 17, Issue 12

UFCW Local 653 Reaches Contract Agreement for Grocery Workers in Minnesota

Over 10,000 members from UFCW Local 653 are under a new contract agreement. The one-year contract went into effect on Sunday and covers grocery workers at stores across Minn., including Cub, Rainbow, Lunds and Byerly’s, Kowalski’s Markets, and independent Supervalu chains.

Negotiations began in February with 70 UFCW commit-tee members and over 20 employers at the bargaining table. Members will vote on a contract again in March 2014, after both sides are able to see how President Obama’s healthcare overhaul would impact healthcare costs in the supermarket industry. OP

UFCW Locals 23 and 1776 Hold a Lobby Day to Fight Liquor Privatization in Pennsylvania Members of UFCW Locals 23 and 1776 visited the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg last week to continue to lobby their legislators against liquor privatization. Governor Tom Corbett is proposing to sell the state’s Wine and Spirits stores and eliminate the jobs of 3,500 UFCW members. The UFCW is committed to protecting the jobs of its members, the revenues generated by the stores for all Pennsylvania taxpayers, and the communities that would be endangered by privatization.

They are instead pushing for bipartisan modernization legislation that would give the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board more fl exibility in pricing, procurement, and personnel.

Pennsylvania House Republican Leader Mike Turzai introduced Corbett’s privatization plan—HB 790—yesterday. It will fi rst be considered by the House Liquor Control Committee later this month. OP

Disney Cast Members from UFCW Local 324 Ratify New Contract

Over 2,300 UFCW Disney cast members who work at Disney-land, Disneyland California Adventure Park & Resorts, and Disney hotel stores voted to ratify a new fi ve-year contract. The contract includes wage increases, pension offers, and matching 401(k)s. Part time workers also gained paid time off - a benefi t that they lost in their previous contract in 2006.

Over 10,000 UFCW Local 653 grocery workers from over 20 different stores ratifi ed a new contract.

Disney cast members from UFCW Local 324 in Calif. voted on a contract to increase wages and benefi ts.

UFCW Locals 23 and 1776 held a lobby day in Harrisburg, Pa., to fi ght liquor privatization that threatens UFCW jobs.

WWW.UFCW.ORGMarch 5, 2013 Volume 17, Issue 12

Bargaining for the contract began in late January with several rank and fi le members at the bargaining table. Since the previ-ous contract wasn’t set to expire until March 15, workers will see an early wage increase. OP

Warehouse Workers Deliver 20,000 Signatures to Bay Area Walmart Board Members

Workers and their supporters delivered almost 20,000 signa-tures calling on Walmart to take responsibility for conditions in its supply chain to two members of Walmart’s execu-tive board – Aida Alvarez, Chair of the Latino Community Foundation, and Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, Inc. Walmart workers, students, union members and community supporters joined the peaceful delivery of the petition signatures.

“We are grateful for the support from so many people through-out the country,” said Yurguien Juarez, a warehouse worker who traveled to San Francisco. “We really hope that with all this attention, Walmart will recognize the need to involve workers in ensuring conditions inside the warehouses are safe and workers are treated with respect.”

The petition calls on Walmart to enforce its “Standards for Suppliers” with real accountability and input from workers like Juarez. Workers also asked both Alavarez and Mayer to meet with them. Warehouse workers noted that the goals are similar between Warehouse Workers United and the Latino Community Foundation, which Alvarez chairs.

Walmart warehouse workers and their supporters delivered a petition of almost 20,000 signatures to members of Walmart’s executive board.

“We estimate that about 80 percent of the 85,000 warehouse workers in the region are Latino,” said Guadalupe Palma, director of Warehouse Workers United. “Like the Latino Com-munity Foundation, we are focused on transforming the lives of thousands of workers and their families. Good jobs with decent wages, access to healthcare and other basic rights are key to warehouse workers’ ability to achieve the American Dream.”

Workers from Quetico, LLC, a warehouse in Chino, Calif., that moves merchandise destined for Walmart and other retail-ers, launched the petition in February after the state deter-mined that 865 workers had more than $1 million in wages stolen from them. OP

UFCW Feeding the Hungry Wrap-Up Video Available Online

For over three years, UFCW locals from across the country have come together to fi ght for food security in their commu-nities and participate in the Feeding the Hungry campaign.

A video of UFCW locals and their Feeding the Hungry events can be viewed at http://bit.ly/XQIgGU.

The Feeding the Hungry campaign, launched by the UFCW and Smithfi eld Foods in November 2009, is a coast-to-coast effort to help families and individuals become more food secure. Since its launch, Feeding the Hungry has made more than 130 stops traveling from Florida to Alaska and donated a total of 19 million meals to food banks across the country. OP

A video of UFCW members and their Feeding the Hungry events is available to view online.