WWW.UFCW.ORGJanuary 29, 2013 Volume 17, Issue 7

C-Town Supermarket Workers from UFCW Local 371 Ratify Their First Contract

UFCW Local 371 C-Town Supermarket workers in New Haven, Conn., overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first union contract last week.

The new three-year agreement, the first-ever contract at a C-Town Supermarket in New England, provides for in-creased hourly wages throughout the life of the contract, seniority rights, funeral leave, and improved vacation among other gains. The contract covers about 30 workers including cashiers, meat cutters, deli, and produce clerks.

“I am glad that we stood together to win this victory,” said Eulalio Tavera, the newly elected shop steward, who has worked at C-Town for five years. “I feel like we are making history by becoming the first C-Town in this area to have a union and I hope workers at other C-Towns make the same choice.” OP

UFCW Local 293 Nebraska Prime Workers Vote to Ratify Their First Union Contract Last week, about 300 workers at the Nebraska Prime plant voted to ratify their first union contract. The mem-bers of UFCW Local 293 work at the kosher beef plant located in Hastings, Neb.

C-Town Supermarket workers from UFCW Local 371 ratified their first union contract last week.

The five-year contract includes wage increases, including an immediate increase for workers who perform heavy boning jobs. Workers also bargained for improved paid holidays, vacation days, funeral, and grievance leave. The contract also enacts an arbitration procedure to resolve disputes at the workplace.

Workers successfully won a union contract by standing together throughout their organizing campaign. Some of the Nebraska Prime workers had a UFCW contract through previous work at nearby JBS plants. Workers took their knowledge and experience about the benefits of having a union voice and a good contract and reached out to their Nebraska Prime co-workers by handbilling the plant and eventually forming a union. OP

Walmart Responds to Workers’ Calls for ChangeWalmart announced three new initiatives at the Na-tional Retail Federation’s Annual Convention. While the company’s plans to hire veterans and ‘Buy American’ stole most of the headlines, its third announcement was a victory for workers who have been coming together for change at Walmart for more than a year.

Speaking at the convention, Walmart U.S. president and chief executive Bill Simon announced that Walmart would make schedules more transparent and provide

Following numerous strikes across the country, OUR Walmart members are optimistic about the company’s announcement to make schedules more transparent and provide full-time hours.

WWW.UFCW.ORGJanuary 29, 2013 Volume 17, Issue 7

the opportunity for workers who want full-time work to receive the hours they need.

These changes follow the largest nation-wide strike the company has ever seen and have been at the heart of OUR Walmart members’ calls since the creation of the worker-led group.

“I’m so proud our hard work and action has paid off,” said OUR Walmart leader Cindy Murray. “We won these gains at my store and now we’re winning them across the country.”

As Simon indicated in his speech, “One in four Ameri-can jobs are supported by the [retail] industry,” 1.3 million of whom are directly employed by Walmart. Inconsistent and nontransparent scheduling practices, along with not giving workers the hours they need to get by, has placed a huge burden on Walmart workers nationwide. If properly implemented, Walmart’s initia-tive would have a positive impact on the lives of many Walmart workers. OP

UFCW Local 348-S Americare Home Health Aides Speak Out for Stable Hours

Thousands of home health aides at Americare are challeng-ing one of the city’s most unstable industries to provide

consistent schedules. The aides say a stable schedule is the key to ensure quality, consistent patient care.

Outside Americare company headquarters, Americare home health aides rallied for more dependable and bet-ter schedules. The members of UFCW Local 348-S were joined by UFCW Locals 338*, 888, 1102*, 1500, and community allies.

Allison Hypolite, an Americare home health aide for two years, said it is critical for her patient to have a caregiver she knows and trusts. But Americare doesn’t have an ad-equate system to assign cases to home health aides, Hypolite said.

“She needs consistency. She needs stability,” she said. “It’s not just a job to me. I treat her like my own family.”

UFCW Local 348-S Americare home health aides proposed a system in current contract negotiations to stabilize the hours they receive each week. Week to week, they don’t know how many hours they will work, or when they’re scheduled. Patients and their families face a confusing stream of unfamiliar workers.

Predominantly immigrant women of color, Americare home health aides provide crucial supportive services to patients in their homes, including bathing, dressing, assisting with meals, and housework and movement. OP

Members from UFCW Local 75 Participate in State Lobby DayAbout 60 members from UFCW Local 75 joined commu-nity allies in the Ohio Organizing Collaborative for a lobby day at the state capitol. The Ohio Organizing Collaborative is a collection of faith, labor and community groups. Mem-bers met with state legislators to discuss issues important to working families.

Members said that they were excited to be part of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative because it is an effective way to work with community partners on issues that working families care about.

Americare home health aides from UFCW Local 348-S rally for more dependable schedules.

WWW.UFCW.ORGJanuary 29, 2013 Volume 17, Issue 7

Union Plus Scholarship Deadline

The deadline for the Union Plus Scholarship is Thursday, January 31. Members can

learn more about the scholarship and register at http://bit.ly/A3wFXN.

Since 1992, the Union Plus Scholarship Program has awarded more than

$3.2 million to students of working families

The importance of the lobby day was to inform state legis-lators about the severe economic downsides of passing right to work in Ohio.

Currently, signatures are being collected by a Tea Party-backed group to put right to work on the November ballot. There is also concern about Ohio Republicans introducing right to work legislation this year. Anti-worker Governor John Kasich so far has refused to say if he would support the legislation.

Most importantly, members wanted to remind legislators that in 2011, Ohio’s voters spoke loud and clear about their support for collective bargaining rights when Issue 2 was soundly defeated. OP

UFCW Staff and members at an immigration rally in Washington, D.C. in 2010.

President Hansen Joins President Obama as He Unveils Immigration Reform Plan UFCW International President Joe Hansen today joined President Obama in Las Vegas as he unveiled his plan for comprehensive immigration reform. President Obama’s announcement came a day after a bipartisan group of senators introduced their own proposal.

The UFCW has long been active in the immigration debate. It supports principled, comprehensive reform that treats all immigrants with respect and dignity and creates a modern, 21st century legal immigration system. In a statement following the event, Hansen praised the President’s proposal.

“I agree with President Obama—the time to reform our broken immigration system is now,” he said. “This issue is personal for UFCW members. Many watched in horror during the 2006 ICE raids as hundreds of documented and undocumented workers were detained and harassed just for doing their jobs. Our nation is better than that. We must be a land of opportunity for all those who work hard in pursuit of the American Dream. Passing comprehensive immigra-tion will allow us to do that.” OP

Members of UFCW Local 75 met with state legislators like State Senate Minority Leader Eric Kearney to discuss issues important to working families.