The labor contracts covering members of UFCW 8-Golden State are among the best in the country. They provide industry-leading wages, health and pension benefits, workplace guarantees and job protections.
As we reported in the previous issue of Voice of Action, our Union is about to engage in negotiations for our supermarket members employed by the major chains in Northern and Central California.
The new contracts which eventually emerge will determine our members’ wages, benefits and work rules for years to come.
In every case, Solidarity will be the key to success. Whether you work in Retail Food, Wholesale Food, Retail Drug, medical offices, distilleries or any of the other industries we serve, it is crucial to show your support for your Union negotiating teams and for all of your Union sisters and brothers.
Our proposals at the bargaining table will be based on what our members tell us they want and need. We listen very carefully.
Experience shows managers will be alerting senior management about their workers’ level of support for UFCW 8-Golden State and our Union allies. If your manager or supervisor asks for your thoughts about negotiations, let him or her know you stand 100 percent with your Union!
When Union support is strong, management will be more ready to agree to a fair contract. But when support is weak, an employer may be tempted to make unfair demands at the bargaining table.
Here are other ways you can show management you support your Union:
1. Wear your Union buttons. Talk to customers (as long as you keep working) and let them know you stand with your Union.
2. Don’t spread rumors. Management sometimes initiates disinformation in order to raise doubts and create divisions. The only reliable source of information is your Union because only your Union represents your interests and no one else’s.
3. Stay up to date. To stay informed on the progress of negotiations, read Voice of Action, visit www.ufcw8.org, follow the UFCW 8 Facebook page and subscribe to President Jacques Loveall’s Twitter feed. You can also sign up to receive alerts via text messaging.
4. Participate in Union activities. Be ready to join a rally and distribute handbills when called upon. In coming weeks and months, we’ll be preparing specific action plans for UFCW 8 Stewards and other Union activists.
If you have any questions, contact your District Union Representative.
For all of our members in all of the industries we serve, the message is the same:
Solidarity does work!
