From the desk of
UFCW International President Marc Perrone
Welcome to the third edition of UFCW News, a quarterly newsletter that is designed to update you about what the UFCW is doing to build a better life for our members and workers everywhere.
History was recently made in Philadelphia. For the first time since Amazon acquired Whole Foods, workers have won union representation by voting to join UFCW Local 1776.
Make no mistake, this victory didn’t come easily. Whole Foods, like so many large corporations, did everything it could to stop its workers from organizing, but these workers refused to be divided. They knew that real change—better wages, stronger protections, and a voice in their workplace—would only come by standing together. Their courage is a reminder that in uncertain times, worker power is our strongest defense.
Across the country, corporations are trying to chip away at our rights, and some politicians are more interested in siding with CEOs than with the working people who make this country run. But what happened in Philadelphia proves that no matter how much they try to silence us, workers’ determination and unity can triumph.
The fight isn’t over. The workers at Whole Foods have taken a critical first step, but now they need a strong contract that delivers real improvements. Just like we have done in grocery stores, meatpacking plants, and retail shops across America, we will stand with them at the bargaining table to make sure their voices are heard.
If you’ve ever thought about what it means to be part of a union, this is it. It means being in the trenches with each other, showing up when it matters most, and never backing down. It means building power in our workplaces so that no one person has to struggle alone.
Let’s celebrate this win, but let’s also use it as a call to action. The best way to protect our rights is to grow our movement by talking to co-workers, family members, and neighbors about the benefits of being a union member. Together, we are unstoppable.
For more resources, visit https://www.ufcw.org/start-a-union/
In solidarity,
Marc Perrone
President, UFCW International
Spotlight On
UFCW Local 2008
In a heavy right-to-work-for-less state in the Deep South, UFCW Local 2008 members have managed to not only grow their union, but also secure historic contract gains over the last 12 months that have paved the way for what the future of labor can look like, even if the political climate is stacked against you.
Representing more than 3,000 members in Arkansas, primarily in meatpacking, food processing, and grocery retail, UFCW Local 2008 has had a laser focus on recruiting and empowering more stewards this past year with the goal of increasing union representation by signing up more members in existing units and in turn, increasing their members’ bargaining power and future organizing power.
Two major victories that highlight the impact of their member-focused internal organizing efforts are the Bionetics contract that was ratified last November, and the recent Tysons contract victory this past January.
Because of the local’s investment in their steward program, stewards at both units were able to sign up more of their coworkers to join the union, which significantly strengthened their bargaining power and resulted in some pretty major contract wins. After increasing union representation to 98 percent at the Bionetics facility, the member-led bargaining committee was able to negotiate a three-year agreement with much higher annual pay increases and most notably, secure union healthcare for themselves and their coworkers. Now, all Bionetics union members can join the UFCW International health and welfare fund, where they will receive full healthcare coverage at a much lower cost.
In the Tysons poultry plant, UFCW Local 2008 invested in recruiting more stewards and improving their orientation process, which has grown the bargaining unit substantially and allowed the member-led bargaining committee to negotiate significant “across the board” (ATB) wage increases. Also, for the first time in this facility, the bargaining committee was able to negotiate a walking steward, whose job is to make sure the contract is being enforced and that members are supported on the job.
Even at the local’s ConAgra facility, which already has overwhelmingly majority union representation, the local has implemented a program where every six months, the steward can work full time on contract enforcement, member sign up, additional steward recruitment and training, and bargaining preparations.
All of this has led to a notable increase in overall membership, allowing the local to hire a full-time organizer and set their sights on the organizing opportunities ahead– looking at other meatpacking and food processing facilities and even branching out into other industries across the state.
By standing together, getting involved, and growing their union, UFCW Local 2008 members continue to push past right-to-work-for-less laws in an anti-union state to win better contracts and build more power for themselves and their union.
In UFCW Local 2008 President Karen Hill’s own words, “The focus now is to stay on the path and organize.”
Keep up with UFCW Local 2008!
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Spotlight On
Horween Leather Company Machine Operator
For UFCW member Alfonso Perkins, watching the Super Bowl each year holds a special significance.
Because while countless union members help make the Super Bowl happen, Alfonso makes the one thing they just can’t play without: the football itself.
For the past 10 years, Alfonso has been a proud UFCW Local 1546 member and Shop Steward at Horween Leather Co, in Chicago, Illinois. As a Machine Operator in the plant, he processes leather for shoes, belts, basketballs, and every single football the NFL needs to play the game.
“I’m a hard worker,” said Alfonso. “To me, it’s an honor that I’m making footballs and basketballs for the NBA and the NFL. I can be watching a game and wondering if that’s one of the balls that I made.”
Alfonso and his union co-workers work together to process cowhide into Super Bowl-ready leather. He uses a 1,000-ton press with special German-made embossing plates to give the leather its distinctive pebbling.
But Alfonso’s commitment to his job goes beyond making the game-winning football. He’s also a shop steward, who rose to the occasion when some of his co-workers told him he was the man for the job. He takes pride in looking out for his fellow union members, and making sure they can focus on what they do best: making the best leather in the game.
“I ride with all Chicago teams,” Alfonso is quick to make clear. This Super Bowl, he was rooting for the Eagles as he admired his handiwork from the comfort of his own TV.
Watch this video from the NFL Players Association about the workers at Horween.
Featured Photo
UFCW March, 1983
Recent Victories
Lush Cosmetics Workers in Missouri Join Local 655
On Oct. 29, workers at the Lush Cosmetics store at the St. Louis Galleria Mall in St. Louis joined UFCW Local 655. This organizing win marks the first Lush Cosmetics store in Missouri to unionize.
Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Workers in Vermont Ratify a First Union Contract
More than 300 members of UFCW Local 371 who work at Ben & Jerry’s production facilities in St. Albans and Waterbury, Vt., ratified their first union contract on Nov. 26.
