unionwize july/aug 2012

from the president’s desk …

We Built That

One incident that’s made the news in recent months was Mitt Romney’s attack on President Obama for saying small business owners owe others for their success. Speaking in Virginia, the President was making the case for how government should be investing in the American people so we can achieve great things.

He used the line: “If you’ve got a small business—you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.” In context, Obama was referring to the bridges, the roads, the infrastruc-ture that we all depend on to make a living. These are all things taxpayers pay for but private industry benefits from using. The Romney campaign construed this as an attack on business owners who pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.

Mitt Romney launched TV ads and toured battleground states with success-ful business owners under the banner “We Did Build This.” But, much to Obama’s point, there are rarely cases where government intervention hasn’t helped us, whether you’re a millionaire CEO or the proprietor of a genera-tions-old family business.

Gilchrist Metal, the company spot-lighted in Romney’s political ad, relied on government help when they ac-cepted $800,000 from the state of New Hampshire to build a new manufactur-ing plant and made another $88,000 off federal contracts. Later, news outlets reported that most of the business owners supporting Romney’s tour had also made millions from work done explicitly for the government.

Now, we might dismiss this back-and-forth as a prime example of the unimportant political news that sprouts up in the summer. The President’s words were taken out of context, then the Obama campaign highlighted some perceived hypocrisy among the Romney speakers. Tit-for-tat. Politics

uring the summer months of an election year, political news is usually filled with minor gaffes or overblown attacks that have little lasting effect in the fall. Many in politics refer to this period as the “silly season.” At

this point in the election cycle, very few voters are actually paying attention to the race and candidates are usually just trying not to make noticeable mistakes, which means even small missteps on the campaign trail need to be blown out of propor-tion in order to get news coverage. The more outrageous the accusation, the better. Until activity picks up after Labor Day, most of the news being made by campaigns is fleeting, often funny but rarely of substance.

President Randy Quickel

D

The Kroger and Kroger Meat contracts have been extended as negotiations continue. For more information, see page 4.

as usual. But this incident pinpoints a distinct difference between the two candidates. It touches on a deep belief within the labor movement, a choice for our future that is at the heart of this election.

One side believes government has a responsibility to its citizens. The other side believes government is the problem. One side has established a record over the last four years put-ting public money into construction that spurs job creation, building roads and bridges that will support com-merce for years to come. The other side has built a record in the private sector with groups like Bain Capital, a company that reaps exorbitant profits while driving businesses bankrupt, outsourcing jobs and underfunding pensions. Barack Obama bet on the U.S. auto industry; Mitt Romney famously insisted, “Let Detroit go bankrupt.”

The 2012 election presents vot-ers with a clear choice between a value system that acknowledges we accomplish more when we support

UFCW LOCAL 1059 JULY / AUGUST 2012 VOL. 34 NO. 4

continued on page 3…

Kroger Update

TAB

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S OFFICERS’ REPORTSRandy Quickel, President ...........................................1 “We Built That”

Mark Fluharty, Secretary-Treasurer .............................5 “Rising to the Volunteer Challenge”

Mark Hertenstein, Service Director ............................6 “Keeping Good Records Keeps Your Job Safe”

Tina Morgan, Organizing Director .............................7 “Red Cross Blood Collection Workers Join Local 1059!”

Jason Kaseman, Political Director .............................10 “Meet Paul Ryan”

Rick Gregory, Education Director ............................13 “Safety Comes First”

FEATURESKroger Contract Extension .........................................4

UFCW Local 1059 Golf Outing .................................8

Discounted Movie Theater Tickets ............................10

UFCW Local 1059 Takes the Challenge ....................11

Employer & Negotiation Updates .............................12

UFCW Local 1059 Softball Tournament ..................14

Contact UFCW Local 1059 by calling 614.237.7671 or 800.282.6488 and entering your party’s extension:Mark Hertenstein ................................205Neil Hertenstein ..................................217Jason Kaseman ....................................240John King ............................................204Diana Marlette ....................................239Tina Morgan .......................................235Mike Nichols ......................................214Brian Perkins .......................................244

Mack Quesenberry ..............................209John Smith ..........................................203Paul Smithberger .................................250Carlos Stiffler ......................................218Administrative Office ..........................223Dues Office .........................................229Organizing Director ............................235Service Director ...................................205

Allison Appel .......................................216J.R. Berroyer .......................................206Anthony Bridges .................................242Sylvester Carothers ..............................236Mark Derson .......................................238Bobbie Fletcher ...................................215Tom Gartner .......................................237Rhonda Helcher ..................................211

OFFICERS

UFCW Local 1059 UnionWize (USPS 567- 310) is published bi-monthly by UFCW Local 1059 at 4150 E. Main Street, Columbus OH 43213-2962. Periodicals Postage Paid at Columbus, OH.

Postmaster: Send address change to UFCW Local 1059, 4150 E. Main Street, Columbus 43213-2962.

Letters to the Editor intended for publication are welcome and should be addressed to UFCW Local 1059, 4150 E. Main Street, Columbus, Ohio 43213. They should include the writer’s full name, address, union affiliation, company, store number and store location. Letters may be edited for clarity or space.

Paul Smithberger Tina MorganCommunications Director Organizing Director

Mark Hertenstein Jason KasemanService Director Political Director

Rick Gregory Education Director

Vice PresidentsSteve Allen John Angeloff Allison Appel J. R. BerroyerLouis Cruse Frank GermanJosh Greenlee Rhonda HelcherMark Hertenstein Lonnie NewmanCheryl Hoffman Mike Nichols Brian Perkins Carol Prater Dave Renneckar Jim Ryder Gene Smith John Smith Juanita Smith Keith Smith Kim Smith Carlos Stiffler

Union RepresentativesAllison Appel J. R. BerroyerAnthony Bridges Sylvester CarothersMark Dersom Barbara FletcherTom Gartner Rhonda HelcherNeil Hertenstein John King Diana Marlette Mike Nichols Brian Perkins Mack Quesenberry John Smith Carlos Stiffler

Randy QuickelPresident/Editor

Mark FluhartySecretary-Treasurer

Barbara FletcherRecorder

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VOL. 34 / NO. 4 UNIONWIZE

UFCW Local 1059 | 4150 East Main Street, Columbus, OH 43213 | www.ufcw1059.com

each other and a philosophy of every man for himself. As individuals, we all run across tough times in our lives. Job losses, sudden deaths, unforeseen illnesses—that’s what the American Safety Net is there to guard against. As a country, we’ve always been embar-rassed by reliance on others or govern-ment assistance to help us through trying times.

Americans are a proud people. But the compassion we show one another during our difficult times should also be a point of pride. We don’t ignore our brothers and sisters struggling to survive; we take their hand and help them get back on their feet.

When we fight for each other, we accomplish great things. Our parents and grandparents pulled together to buy war bonds that supported our troops fighting incredible odds in the second World War. This is the same country that stood up for seniors and instituted Medicare so we no longer suffer and die because we can’t afford a doctor’s care at the time in our lives when we most need it. More recently, taxpayers put their faith in the strug-gling U.S. auto industry, and now Gen-eral Motors is once again the largest automobile manufacturer in the world.

And yet, despite our proud his-tory of helping one another succeed, we remain very anxious about public assistance, even suspicious of others who might need assistance. The Rom-ney campaign tried to capitalize on this apprehension by releasing an advertise-ment accusing President Obama of ending the work component of welfare that President Clinton signed into law. The ad refers to waivers issued to some states allowing them to experi-ment with new methods and exempt-ing them from some federal guidelines. The waivers would allow states to change how recipients fulfill the work requirement, but there must still be a work requirement. The waivers were a

bipartisan ef-fort to provide states flex-ibility to solve their unique problems, a sentiment Romney ad-vocated when he supported the waivers as Governor of Massachusetts.

Again, this is the kind of policy exag-geration we’re used to seeing in the summer months prior to an election. It’s hard to call it “silly,” though, when we see the real-world effects of these attacks. A recent national poll found that Governor Romney led President Obama by 37 points among non-college educated white men. As many people have said before me, these blue-collar workers are voting their hopes and not their reality. Unfortunately, for many non-union workers in America, their labor hasn’t led to greater prosper-ity; it’s been met by the demand for even more work.

Productivity has jumped 80% since the late 1970s. If the median house-hold income had kept pace with the growth of the economy during that time, a middle class family would be making $92,000/year today instead of $50,000/year. It’s also worth not-ing that this same period in American history also saw a decline in union membership. The American worker has met the challenge to work harder, but modern-day companies are not reward-ing that effort with financial stability.

We have 99% of citizens desper-ately trying to do what’s right. These workers are burdened with more responsibilities under tighter hours, and they deserve to have their efforts rewarded. The 99% are the backbone

of our economy. Then there are the richest 1% that have the resources to help others but only help themselves. They lie to us, “We succeeded without anyone’s help, and you can, too.”

Politically, one side wants to help the middle class through our economic recovery by making millionaires pay their fair share; the other party wants to set government priorities that reward those who are already wealthy at the expense of the worst-off. This is a dynamic you’re probably familiar with. Labor unions want to use the strength of workers to make sure employees can share in their employer’s success. Then there are companies like Walmart that want to enrich their investors on the backs of their workers who can’t even afford health care.

The result is a country divided along economic lines. Never before have the richest Americans been so much richer than the poorest. By the CIA’s own measure of income inequal-ity, the United States is more divided than our Western allies. We even rank worse than China, Russia and Iran. No matter how hard we work, the barriers to a better life are usually too great.

That’s our choice this year. Do we want a government that tells us we deserve what we get or one that ensures we get what we deserve? Are

from the president’s desk ……continued from page 1

continued on page 4…

Credit: Economic Policy Institute

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UNIONWIZE JULY / AUGUST 2012


from the president’s desk ……continued from page 3

our national politics going to be about supporting one another for mutual gain or tearing each other down for personal benefit?

We must realize that the American success story is not written by indi-viduals fighting each other but by a common purpose that respects work and provides equal opportunities. That means we cannot tolerate those who would strip workers of their voice in the workplace. We cannot allow a tax

structure that asks a multi-millionaire to pay a lower tax rate than a cashier. And no politician who would weaken programs like Medicare or Medicaid–programs that help us when we are most in need–should ever get our vote.

As union members, you already understand the importance of banding together for the common good. You didn’t secure your wages and benefits on your own; your coworkers joined that fight. That is the same principle

that should guide our government. This election provides a stark choice for the direction of our country. The values of the American labor movement lifted families out of poverty and created the strongest economy on the planet. We can do it again, together.

The middle class? We built that.

KROGER CONTRACT EXTENSION

he Kroger contract with UFCW Local 1059—represent-ing over 10,000 of our mem-

bers—has been extended until October 6, 2012. The results of the surveys members returned prior to negotiations overwhelmingly supported the bargain-ing committee’s decision to continue talks if we were making progress in negotiations.

The reason negotiations have been extended is the increased cost of health care. Before we can begin bargaining with Kroger over wages, health care plan design must be resolved.

Local 1059 is not alone when it comes to prolonged bargaining over health care. Kroger contracts across the country have been on extension. As you can see from the Employer & Negotiation Updates (page 12), Local 1529 in Memphis has been on exten-sion since 10/8/11, Local 227 out of Louisville has been under extension since 3/31/12, Local 700 in Indiana has been on an extension since 5/2/12 and Local 1995 in Nashville has been on extension since 5/19/12.

On June 28, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the nation-al health care law was indeed constitu-tional. This was a positive step forward. However, all of the law’s provisions have yet to be enacted, and many of

the details involved in implementation are still being worked out in various administrative agencies. That makes decisions on what costs or benefits are going to be provided very difficult. Ultimately, though, the national health care law will help level the playing field for health care benefits, forcing non-union employers to offer better insur-ance to their employees.

In order to continue to work on these health care-related issues, Local 1059 and your bargaining committee have agreed to a contract extension with Kroger until October 6, 2012. This means that all benefits and provi-sions of your contract remain in force until that date. Local 1059 will con-tinue to negotiate during this period. While on extension, our members should continue to do the excellent job for Kroger that makes the company so successful.

We will have a message on the FACT Phone and streaming video on our website after each negotiation session. The FACT Phone number is 614.237.FACT (614.237.3228) or 800.282.FACT (800.282.3228). In order to view the streaming video up-dated after each session, visit www.ufcw1059.com and go to the Members Area. Establish a login username and password if you have

not previously, and then log in to see your personal page by entering your login username and password when prompted.

The message on the FACT Phone and the streaming video will include what has happened during that day of bargaining as well as the date of the next session of negotiations. After each series of negotiation sessions, we will put out a message through the C.A.R.T. communication network, and union representatives will be kept informed of all progress that is being made.

If at some point we find ourselves unable to come to a successful conclu-sion, we will have a membership meet-ing to present the issues currently being negotiated. Only then will we take a strike vote. To authorize a strike, 2/3 of people voting must vote in favor of the action. After a successful strike vote, we would return to the bargaining table with your authority to give Kroger a hard deadline before going on strike. A seven-day notice is required before a work stoppage can occur.

Local 1059 and the bargaining committee will continue to work on a solution that will protect our affordable health care and maintain the excellent benefits that your union contract now provides.

T

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Rising to the Volunteer Challengeby Mark Fluharty, Secretary-Treasurer

ervice to our com-

munities has always been a core value of

the labor movement. Strong union jobs support families and strengthen com-munities. Likewise, a commitment to helping one’s neighbors also improves the places we live and work.

It is in this spirit that UFCW Lo-cal 1059 welcomes the opportunity to take up the United Way of Central Ohio Columbus Volunteer Challenge, a two and a half week call to service. To celebrate the Columbus Bicentennial, the United Way of Central Ohio has expanded their summer days of service, challenging people and local organi-zations to take up the call for a con-centrated period of volunteer activity. Already this year, Local 1059 has been active with local community groups, helping sort donations at the Mid-Ohio Foodbank, cleaning up Workers Memorial Park and serving meals at the YWCA Family Center.

From August 25 through Septem-ber 11, we have organized even more opportunities for members to donate what time they can spare and help

some very deserving organizations. Throughout August and continuing until September 5, members can drop off clothing and other goods to be do-nated to AMVETS of Ohio. For those unfamiliar with AMVETS, the organi-zation is the country’s foremost service group for veterans.

They accept clothing, bedding, housewares and small appliances for our nation’s veteran community. Goods that AMVETS cannot accept include furniture, large appliances, TVs, baby equipment or reference books. Dona-tions can be dropped off at the Union Hall in Columbus any time from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Fri-day, until Wednesday, September 5.

We’re also helping two organi-zations with roots in central Ohio, CHOICES and the Mid-Ohio Food-bank. On August 28, we held another of our successful One-1-One benefits at the Union Hall making baby blankets for CHOICES, a local organization helping victims of domestic violence.

For those members not in the Columbus area, we also have events happening in your part of the state. At each of our Quarterly Area Meetings, members are encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations in support

of the Mid-Ohio Foodbank. Even if you can’t attend the meeting, feel free to give your donation to your union representative on the day of the Quarterly Area Meeting near you (see the calendar on page 11).

Finally, we are very excited to an-nounce a blood drive with new Local 1059 members, the blood collection workers of the Red Cross Central Ohio Region. The drive will occur on Tues-day, September 11 from 1:00 pm-7:00 pm at the Union Hall. To book a time to donate blood, call Diana Marlette at 614.237.7671, extension 239 or visit www.ufcw1059.com and click the Volunteer Challenge event scrolling in the top right corner for information to register online.

Whether it’s donating your time, clothing, canned food or blood, we’ve tried to offer our members a way to participate in the Volunteer Challenge. We’ll also be serving another meal at the YWCA Family Center from 5:00-8:00 pm on Monday, October 22. The Columbus Volunteer Challenge provides a great opportunity for us to impact our community, but Local 1059 understands that service is a year-round commitment.

S

Volunteers Serve Meal at YWCA Family CenterMonday, July 2, 2012

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retail stores face this requirement—whether you work at Clintonville Community Market, Great Scot, Kroger or Meijer.

Company policies or USDA regula-tions require food safety checks, qual-ity inspections, temperature checks, grinder logs, etc. All of these activities serve the same purpose: to protect the consumer.

Life is full of rules and regulations meant to keep us and others safe; the above-mentioned checks are no dif-ferent. When you come into a plant, you’re likely swamped by all the mun-dane checks you have to do—checking the metal detector is working properly, ensuring screens are in place and free of debris or inspecting for any damage on the blades. The stores have some of the same regulations, but they deal with grinder logs in the meat shops and temperature logs in departments with hot or refrigerated cases.

You may wonder: “Why do we have to do this or that at a particular interval?” The simple answer is that

by Mark Hertenstein, Service Director

those intervals are required by policy or by law. I honestly don’t know every rule. Different companies face different requirements for submitting records that show the employer is abiding by the necessary safety precautions.

During your training, pay attention to these record-keeping requirements. If you have any questions—ask! And when you are told to complete these checks, you need to follow through. Everyone should be on the same page so we can keep the food being pro-duced free of foreign objects and served at a safe temperature.

Remember, we all go to work to make money that provides a decent liv-ing for our families. When our employ-er is at the top of their field, we share in that success. Keeping products at the highest quality through checks, logs and inspections keeps our employment stable. In addition, it also means that our friends and family can safely enjoy the things we produce or sell.

see griev-ance

after griev-ance come across my desk dealing with a common theme. This issue comes up so often, I felt I should address it in my article. Perhaps you work in one of our union plants or warehouses—maybe Bellisio, Birchwood Foods, Cadbury Schweppes Bottling Group, General Mills, Mansfield Distributing, Ohio Pack, Rich Products, Sugar Creek or US Corrugated. Even our members at

Keeping Good Records Keeps Your Job Safe

GRIEVANCE REPORTJune-July 2012

Grievance Success Rate ......... 82%

Grievances Settled ................. 104

Monetary Awards ...... $67,507.98

I

Texas Hold ‘Em tournamentMUST BE

21TO PARTICIPATE

ENTRY FEE

$2548 PERSON LIMIT

Thursday, October 18, 2012 at 7:00 pmUFCW Local 1059 Union Hall

4150 East Main StreetColumbus, OH 43213

Name (print) _____________________________________________ Phone _________________

Guest (print) _____________________________________________ Enclosed $ ______________

Date of Birth _____________________________________________ Employer _______________

Guest Date of Birth ________________________________________

Send payment to the address above.For more information, contact Paul Smithberger at 614.237.7671, ext. 250

7



n my last article, I

discussed the work done by the American Red Cross (ARC) blood collection workers, what they go through on a daily basis and the obstacles we faced moving toward their National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) union election.

In the end, the barriers put up by the NLRB and ARC were not strong enough to hold these workers back!

On July 10, the workers voted to be represented by UFCW Local 1059. The vote was tense to say the least. The unit size ended up being 189 workers instead of the 160 we had anticipated because ARC executives added newly-hired workers our supporters never had the opportunity to meet. Six differ-ent voting locations were established

despite Local 1059’s urging for a simpler process. Each site had an observer to verify the identity of each worker who voted. The observers attended a pre-election conference with the NLRB agent and an organizer.

Organizers were not al-lowed at the site while the election was open. (The Com-pany was permitted to stay on-site, though.) So, an organizer monitored each location from a distance with a worker or two to help identify the voters as eligible workers able to cast a ballot. Work-ers came in to vote from a 27-county radius.

Despite all of the obstacles in their way, workers turned out to vote in record numbers. Normally, about 75%

of workers actually vote in an NLRB election; over 90% of eligible workers voted in this elec-tion!

Polls closed at 7:00 pm, at which time the NLRB agents transported the ballot boxes to the ARC Colum-bus headquarters. (The ARC HQ was a polling site, even though no workers

in this unit ever work there.) All of the ballot boxes arrived at 8:30 pm, and the count began. We entered the room as a group of about 25 only to find about 30 management people waiting on the count as well—usually not a good sign.

The room was silent, only inter-rupted when ARC’s HR person and I agreed or disagreed with challenged ballots. The final vote was 97 to 77. The blood collection workers of ARC’s Central Ohio Region won a voice at work with UFCW Local 1059!

But that wasn’t the end—only the beginning. The next step is to prepare for bargaining. We have requested nec-essary information from the company and mailed surveys to gather informa-tion from workers. As this campaign progresses to bargaining their first union contract, I will continue to keep everyone updated on the results of the hard fight these workers have won.

Red Cross Blood Collection Workers Join Local 1059!by Tina Morgan, Organizing Director

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ARC blood collection workers after the vote count

ARC workers show their support for the union

BLOOD DRIVETuesday, September 11, 2012UFCW Local 1059 Union Hall

4150 East Main StreetColumbus, OH 43213

1:00 pm-7:00 pmSchedule a convenient time to donate by calling 614.237.7671, ext. 239 or

visit http://tinyurl.com/ufcwblooddrive

HONOR OUR HEROES AND REMEMBER THE FALLEN ON THE NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE & REMEMBRANCE

SUPPORT LOCAL 1059’S NEWLY-ORGANIZED AMERICAN RED CROSS BLOOD COLLECTION WORKERS

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UFCW Local 1059 Golf OutingWednesday, June 13, 2012

See more photos online in the Pictures section of www.ufcw1059.com

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UFCW Local 1059 Golf OutingWednesday, June 13, 2012


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would have drastically slashed funds for Medicare, ending the program as we know it. Gone would be the medical coverage seniors have relied on for de-cades, replaced with a voucher program that would double costs for elderly Americans. Moreover, it would raise the retirement age for future enrollees. In short, the retirement security promised to our nation’s seniors would end.

The budget proposed by Repre-sentative Ryan would also raise taxes on middle class families to fund the continuation of George W. Bush’s tax cuts for the richest 2%. His budget allows President Obama’s tax cuts for low-income families to expire at the end of 2012 but makes the breaks for high-income households permanent.

In the 2010 version of Ryan’s budget, he even advocated eliminat-ing taxes on capital gains and inter-est—essentially, money that makes the owner more money—which benefits the very wealthy far more than middle class workers whose labor makes them their money. Under that budget, Mitt Romney, a multi-millionaire, would pay less than 1% of his income in taxes while hard-working families across the

country pay far more simply because they work for their income.

But these aren’t just Paul Ryan’s views. These are Mitt Romney’s views, too. When questioned about the differ-ences between his own Medicare plan and the Ryan Budget plan, Romeny stated that they were “virtually identi-cal.” Governor Romney knew what he was doing when he picked Paul Ryan to join him on the campaign trail: He signalled to his corporate funders that he was serious about making the rich even richer and leaving the middle class with the bill.

In all honesty, I don’t actually think that the announcement of Paul Ryan as Romney’s pick for Vice President was intended as a “news dump.” President Obama also leaked the name of his running mate, Senator Joe Biden, on a Friday night back in 2008. Of course, after learning about the extreme eco-nomic views of the Romney/Ryan plan, hiding these details from voters would have been a smart move. By choosing Paul Ryan, it becomes even clearer why workers must choose President Obama in November.

Meet Paul Ryanby Jason Kaseman, Political Director

oliti-cians often

release news on a Friday because they

want it to be lost in the weekend news cycle. No one watches the evening news on a Saturday. That is to say, news leaked on the weekend is news you probably don’t want people to notice. It’s called the “Friday news dump.” So, why did Mitt Romney’s campaign leak the announcement of his choice for running mate late Friday night?

To answer that question, let me introduce his choice: U.S. Representa-tive Paul Ryan. While the decision to add Representative Ryan to the ticket is sure to have energized the far right of the Republican Party, it also recon-firms the radical economic views that Governor Romney has been champion-ing throughout the campaign. Before being tapped as the 2012 vice presiden-tial candidate, Paul Ryan was widely known for his controversial budget proposal supported by Republicans in the House of Representatives.

The Ryan Budget, as it was known,

P

AMC TheatresLocations include:- Dublin Village 18- Lennox Town Center 24- Easton Town Center 30www.amctheatres.com

Tickets may be used towards admis-sion to any movie without restric-tion. All tickets through Local 1059 are $6.50 (reg. $6.50–$9.50). 3D movies require additional charges paid at the theater.

Marcus TheatresLocations include:- Columbus- Pickeringtonwww.marcustheatres.com

Tickets may be used towards admission to any movie without restriction. All tickets through Local 1059 are $6.50 (reg. $7.50–$10.50). Tickets void for any feature listed as Special Engage-ment (∆), including Sony Pictures new releases and VIP/reserved seat-ing. 3D movies require additional charges paid at the theater.

Rave Motion PicturesLocations include:- Polaris 18, Columbus- Grove City 14, Grove City- Fallen Timbers 14, Maumee- Levis Commons 12, Perrysburg- Franklin Park 16, Toledowww.ravemotionpictures.com

Tickets may be used towards admis-sion to any movie without restric-tion. All tickets through Local 1059 are $6.50 (reg. $6.50–$9.75). 3D movies require additional charges paid at the theater.

Tri City Theatre972 East Main Street, Jackson, OHwww.tricitytheatre.com

All tickets through Local 1059 are $4.00 (reg. $6.50). 3D tickets will cost an additional $2.00 at the ticket booth when accompanied by the UFCW $4.00 ticket.

DISCOUNTED MOVIE THEATER TICKETS

MasterCard, Visa and Discover are accepted for online purchases in the Members Area of www.ufcw1059.com and for phone orders called in to 614.237.7671 or 800.282.6488. Cash or credit card purchases can also be made at the UFCW Local 1059 office between 8:30 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

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UFCW Local 1059 Takes the ChallengeThe following events are offered in support of the United Way of Central Ohio Columbus Volunteer Challenge.

Benefitting:Clean out your closet and your garage! UFCW Lo-cal 1059 is collecting goods for AMVETS of Ohio to help our veterans of the armed forces. Through-out the month of August until September 5, you can drop off clothing, bedding, housewares and small ap-pliances at the UFCW Local 1059 Union Hall. NO furniture, large appliances, TVs, baby equipment or reference books can be accepted. Tax deductible re-ceipts will be available with your generous donation.

Location:

UFCW Local 1059 Union Hall4150 East Main StreetColumbus, OH 43213

Ends WEdnEsday, sEptEmbEr 5, 2012

Benefitting:UFCW Local 1059 is collecting non-perishable food donations for the Mid-Ohio Foodbank at each of our Quarterly Area Meetings in September. Give your donations to your union representative on the day of the area meeting near you. (See the calendar below.)

Location:

Refer to the calendar below for the Quarterly Area Meeting nearest you

sEptEmbEr QuartErly arEa mEEtings

Benefitting:Today is The National Day of Service & Remem-brance. Honor all those brave Americans on the front lines. Come out and support UFCW Local 1059’s newly-organized blood collection workers of the American Red Cross Central Ohio Region. Register by calling 614.237.7671, ext. 239 or online by visit-ing www.ufcw1059.com and clicking on the Volun-teer Challenge event scrolling in the top right corner.

Location:

UFCW Local 1059 Union Hall4150 East Main StreetColumbus, OH 43213

tuEsday, sEptEmbEr 11, 2012 from 1:00-7:00 pm

Area Meeting —Toledo

Blood drive from 1:00-7:00 pm at Local 1059 Union Hall Area Meeting —Logan

Area Meeting —Mansfield

Area Meeting —Findlay

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY

September 2012

AMVETS donations at Local 1059 Union Hall

Area Meeting —Columbus AMVETS-cont.

Area Meeting —Zanesville AMVETS-cont.

Area Meeting —Piketon

3 4 5 6 7

10 11 12 13 14

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Employer & Negotiation Updates

• Central Illinois. Members of UFCW Local 536 ratified a contract after almost 3 years working on extension. Details were not immediately available.

• Central/Southern Illinois. After more than 2 years of working under a contract extension, UFCW Local 881 members ratified a new contract. Clerks received a lump sum bonus at signing and an 85¢ raise over four years.

Contract Extensions

• Memphis. Negotiations continue between the Kroger Company and UFCW Local 1529 as Tennessee’s members enter their eleventh month working under a contract extension. Health insurance-related issues continue to be a major factor for the long bargaining period.

• Louisville. UFCW Local 227, based in Kentucky, has entered a contract extension as negotiations continue. Health care bargaining remains the primary cause of the delay. The contract expired on March 31, 2012.

• Indianapolis. The UFCW Local 700 contract expired on May 12, but the contract has been extended indefinitely while bargaining continues.

• Nashville. The UFCW Local 1995 contract expired on May 19, 2012. They are working under an extension as health care negotiations continue.

• Mansfield. UFCW Local 1059 members at Meijer 126 have ratified a new 3½-year contract. Top-rated employees will get a $1.00 increase

over the term of the contract, including top rate adjustments. Top-rated workers get a 35¢ raise up front, and all employees will get a wage increase at ratification.

Job Openings

• Columbus. The Columbus Dispatch notes Kroger reported over 350 new job openings for its stores and distribution center located in central Ohio. Local economists credit the increased labor force with a rebounding economy. Columbus adds jobs at roughly three times the national rate.

• Iowa. After reporting the death of a worker at their Cedar Rapids plant, General Mills is due for a scheduled visit from an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) agent in accordance with regulatory policy. The OSHA investigation may take several weeks to complete before further information is available. General Mills is withholding further details of the incident,

but they will conduct a separate investigation as well.

• California. Seven UFCW locals in California continue to bargain with the company following an authorization for strike. Rite Aid stores have begun advertising for replacement workers, but the regional UFCW locals urge members not to be intimidated. The UFCW members are currently working under extension as negotiations continue.

• Bribery Investigation. The Securities and Exchange Commission has determined that Walmart’s filings do not adequately account for the financial toll of pending legal proceedings spurred by ongoing investigations alleging Walmart bribed foreign officials to speed the construction of Walmart stores in other countries.

Meijer 126 Negotiating Committee (back) Communications Direc-tor Paul Smithberger, Jeff Schroff, Ken Ferreira, Paula Owens (front) Union Representative Allison Appel, Chrissy Schuster, Deb Bivens, Service Director Mark Hertenstein.

13



of the body.“I sometimes think that the reason

we are not as much concerned about these accidents as we should be is because we do not visualize the real seriousness of the situation. We hear of an accident here and there or we see one occasionally, but we do not get a picture of what the real situation is. Suppose we were to see all of the people who are killed and injured in the industries of Ohio together in a pa-rade or procession of some kind. What a sight it would be!

“Such a parade would be led by the 1,124 coffins. These would be followed by a number of stretchers or wheelchairs to take care of the totally disabled. Then the blind would come along, being led. Then would follow hundreds of men on crutches and with canes. Then would follow along the men with the empty coat sleeves and the empty trouser legs, and hundreds and hundreds of them without fingers and hands, or with artificial fingers and hands—what a gruesome sight that would be!”

Unions like the UFCW did not form over wages and benefits. Their original purpose was to promote safer working conditions, shorter hours and dignity in the workplace. All the com-panies where Local 1059 represents workers are much more safety-minded than companies in the past. But no worker reading these words should ever take safety for granted.

Safety Comes Firstby Rick Gregory, Education Director

U FCW Local 1059

stewards who attend-ed this year’s Stewards’

Education Conference heard Organiz-ing Director Tina Morgan say that, every day, three American workers are killed on the job. That is three per day too many. Still, that number is much smaller than it was decades ago.

Here is a quote from P.F. Casey, reporting on workers’ safety problems in Ohio at an All Ohio Safety Confer-ence during the 1920s:

“In the year 1926, 1,124 industrial workers were killed in Ohio. 219,661 injuries were reported to the Industrial Commission . . . sixteen of these men were permanently totally disabled, by which we mean totally incapacitated for work forever. There were also 1,843 of these injured persons who were per-manently partially disabled, meaning that they have lost a leg or an eye or an arm or a hand or some other member

14-year-old boy from Cincinnati who lost an arm at a box factory in 1907

Name (print) ______________________________________ Phone __________________________

Address _________________________________________ Enclosed $ ______________________

City _______________________ State ______ Zip ______ Employer ________________________

Contact Julie Klein at 614.237.7671, ext. 233 for more informationor purchase tickets online in the Members Area at www.ufcw1059.com

Send payment to: UFCW Local 1059, 4150 E. Main St., Columbus, OH 43213

vs. Pittsburgh PenguinsFriday, November 2, 2012

vs. St. Louis BluesTuesday, January 15, 2013

Tickets Only

$39(reg. $50) HOCKEY NIGHTin Columbus

Seating is locatedin Upper Bowl

Center Ice Section

14



Fifteen players showed up to Whitehall Community Park on June 23rd with a team name of Mon-key Brains. The name came from a kids shampoo in HBC. Store #581 had never entered the Union Softball Tournament before. All members had made an effort to show up for many of the practices that were held twice a week from May 17th [but] the first inning was the first time our full lineup had

hit the field together. We lost all five coin tosses, but it seemed to work for us. Look what happened—swept it in five games! Thanks, Monkey Brains! Thank you, UFCW 1059,

for providing members with events to participate in. Thanks to all for a country that events like this can happen. Kary Baker

Coach, Kroger 581 Monkey Brains logo by Jerry Dunlap, Kroger 581

2012 Softball Tournament Winners—Kroger 581 (Monkey Brains)

Kroger 867Kroger 853

rich Products

Kroger 844

Kroger 920Kroger 581 Meijer 181

rich Products uFcW LocaL 1059

Kroger 847 Kroger 898

UFCW Local 1059 Softball Tournament

2012 chaMPions


15



QUARTERLY UNION MEETINGSAll Quarterly Union Meetings start at 7:00 pm unless other-wise noted.Central Area—Tuesday, September 4, 2012 UFCW Local 1059, Columbus 4150 E. Main Street

Eastern Area—Wednesday, September 5, 2012 Holiday Inn Express, Zanesville 1101 Spring Street

Southern Area—Thursday, September 6, 2012 Meeting times: 10:00 am & 7:00 pm Comfort Inn, Piketon 7525 U.S. Route 23

Toledo Area—Monday, September 10, 2012 Holiday Inn Express, Perrysburg 10621 Fremont Pike

Southeastern Area—Tuesday, September 11, 2012 The Olde Dutch Restaurant, Logan 12791 State Route 664 S.

Central Area—Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Meeting time: 10:00 am UFCW Local 1059, Columbus 4150 E. Main Street

Northern Area—Wednesday, September 12, 2012 Quality Inn & Suites, Mansfield 500 N. Trimble Road

Northwestern Area—Thursday, September 13, 2012 Comfort Suites, Findlay 3700 Speedway Drive

UPCOMING EVENTSRed Cross Blood Drive—Tuesday, September 11, 2012New York City Trip—September 24-27, 2012Cedar Point Member Appreciation—Sunday, October 14, 2012Texas Hold ‘Em—Thursday, October 18, 2012YWCA Family Center—Monday, October 22, 2012Blue Jackets vs. Penguins—Friday, November 2, 2012

CONTACT INFORMATIONLocal 1059 Office614.237.7671 or toll-free 800.282.6488

Health & Welfare Office614.237.7618 or toll-free 800.282.6483

Pension Office614.237.7423 or toll-free 800.282.6483

MEMBERSHIP ORIENTATIONSAll Membership Orientations start at 5:30 pm unless otherwise noted.

Columbus—Monday, October 1, 2012 Meeting times: 10:00 am & 5:30 pm UFCW Local 1059, Columbus 4150 E. Main Street

Lima—Tuesday, October 2, 2012 Holiday Inn & Suites 803 S. Leonard Avenue

Hebron—Tuesday, October 2, 2012 Creative Catering 925 W. Main Street

Sandusky—Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Fairfield Inn and Suites 6220 Milan Road

Athens—Wednesday, October 3, 2012 Holiday Inn Express 11 E. Park Drive

Marion—Thursday, October 4, 2012 Tri Rivers Career Center 2222 Marion-Mt. Gilead Road

Piketon—Thursday, October 4, 2012 Comfort Inn 7525 U.S. Route 23

Perrysburg—Monday, October 8, 2012 Holiday Inn Express 10621 Fremont Pike

Defiance—Tuesday, October 9, 2012 UAW Local 211 2120 Baltimore Street

Zanesville—Tuesday, October 9, 2012 Holiday Inn Express 1101 Spring Street

Lancaster—Wednesday, October 10, 2012 Hampton Inn 2041 Schorrway Drive

Mansfield—Wednesday, October 10, 2012 Quality Inn & Suites 500 N. Trimble Road

Findlay—Thursday, October 11, 2012 Comfort Suites 3700 Speedway Drive

Circleville—Thursday, October 11, 2012 Holiday Inn Express 23911 U.S. Route 23 S.

United Food & Commercial Workers International Union, CLC4150 East Main Street, Columbus, OH 43213

periodical postage paid at Columbus, OH

UFCW Local 1059 Member Appreciation DaySunday, October 14

Local 1059 prices:

up to five tickets adult ............................................................................................................. $24junior (under 48”) ......................................................................................... $13senior (age 62+) ........................................................................................... $13children age 2 and under ............................................................................. free

more than five tickets adult ............................................................................................................. $28junior (under 48”) ......................................................................................... $18senior (age 62+) ........................................................................................... $18children age 2 and under ............................................................................. free

Buy tickets in advance or at the main gate from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on the day of the event—look for the UFCW Local 1059 booth. The park is open from noon to 9:00 pm that day.

unionwize july/aug 2012

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