United Food and Commercial Workers

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union is a labor union representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in many industries, including agriculture, health care, meatpacking, poultry and food processing, manufacturing, textile and chemical trades, and retail food. Until July 2005, UFCW was affiliated with the AFL-CIO, where it was the second largest union by membership. Along with two other members of the Change to Win Coalition, the UFCW formally disaffiliated with the AFL-CIO on July 29 2005.

History

The UFCW was created through the merger of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters union and Retail Clerks International Union in 1979. The UFCW expanded by merging with several smaller unions between 1980 and 1998.

Agriculture

Legal challenges

The UFCW has been fighting to win rights for agricultural workers in Ontario, Canada since 1995, when the then newly elected Ontario Progressive Conservative Party government passed legislation prohibiting those workers from joining unions. In 2001 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in favour of UFCW Canada in the case of Dunmore v. Ontario.^* The Court held that the Ontario government violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by denying agricultural workers unionization rights under Ontario labor law as it had infringed on those workers' freedom of association.

Since the Dunmore decision, the subsequently elected Ontario Liberal Party government has supported legislation that gives agricultural workers the right to join or form an association but no rights to collective bargaining. The UFCW continues to challenge this legislation while sponsoring outreach and education programs for Ontario farm workers. On June 30, 2006, the Ontario government announced that it would extend coverage to farm workers under that province's occupational safety and health legislation, another longstanding demand of the UFCW.^*

Joint Organizing Protocol

In 2004, UFCW Canada and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) signed a formal organizing protocol recognizing the UFCW as the union with primary jurisdiction for organizing agricultural workers in Canada and agreeing to cooperate on joint organizing and advocacy campaigns.^*

Retail

2003 California grocery strike

On October 11 2003, the UFCW declared a strike on Vons (owned by Safeway Inc.), in Southern California, because of drastic changes in the new proposed labor contract. These changes included cuts in health care and pension benefits, and the creation of a two-tier wage. The grocery chains had demanded steep cuts, citing future competition from Wal-Mart although it has yet to enter the California market in force. Many pundits saw the expected strike/lockout as a chance for the grocery chains to end one of the most union-favoured contracts in all of the US, which would set a precedent for restructuring of labour contracts elsewhere in the companies' favour. The day following the of strike, Albertsons and Ralphs (owned by Kroger) locked out their Southern California employees.

In a strong show of sympathy - with other unions also facing cuts to health, wage, and pension benefits - similar strikes, lockouts, and tense negotiations broke out across the country: in northern California, western Washington, Colorado, and Ohio. Although the UFCW seemed well poised to capitalize upon that support and retain much of their benefits, many argue that their potential was sabotaged by the AFL-CIO bosses. The AFL-CIO's primary goal was supporting the Democrats and the Democrats were beneficiaries of campaign contributions from several companies that the UFCW was striking against. The AFL-CIO helped to settle or discourage the sympathy strikes before they escalated, even at the cost of significantly reduced health benefits. Also, the AFL-CIO did not mobilize their national resources to aid the UFCW even though it would have made a difference at crucial points in the campaign. Ending up, the AFL-CIO convinced the UFCW to call off the strike since elections were coming up that year.

The UFCW and the companies reached an agreement on February 26, 2004, at about 5:30pm. Although it contained steep cuts to benefits, essentially meeting all the grocery chains' demands, the UFCW members voted overwhelmingly because many could not afford to continue the strike. As a result of the failed California grocery strike, many UFCW members harboured a deep resentment at the AFL-CIO for "selling them out". This was a major reason for the UFCW leaving the AFL-CIO in 2005.

UFCW and Kroger

Kroger is a major grocery chain found throughout the United States, operating under many banners whose workforce are members of the UFCW.

Most Kroger employees are members of the UFCW. In addition to their regular unpaid 30 minute lunch break, they are also given two paid 15 minute breaks within a work period exceeding five hours, or one paid 15 minute break within a work period less than five hours. Kroger employees are also given healthcare benefits.

UFCW and Loblaw Companies

Loblaw Companies Limited is the largest food retailer in Canada, with over 1,690 supermarkets operating under a variety of names. Its workforce are predominantly members of the UFCW, although some workers are represented by the Retail Wholesale Division of the Canadian Auto Workers or other unions instead.

On May 18, 2006, UFCW Canada announced the formation of the UFCW Canada National Retail Council. The establishment of the Council was born, and evolved out of recommendations from the International Committee on the Future of the UFCW, after the 2003 California labour dispute with Safeway, Vons and Albertsons and the election of UFCW International President Joe Hansen.

Initially, the Council has been proposed to assist in upcoming negotiations with Loblaw Companies as well as an ongoing labour dispute with Loblaw subsidiary Extra Foods in British Columbia, Canada.^*

UFCW and Meijer

Meijer is a major regional retailer based in Michigan whose workforce are members of the UFCW.

Most Meijer employees are members of the UFCW. In addition to their regular unpaid 30 minute lunch break, they are given a 15 minute break every two hours.

UFCW and Shop Rite

ShopRite is a major regional retailer based in New Jersey whose workforce are members of the UFCW.

Most Shop Rite employees are members of the UFCW. In addition to their regular unpaid 30 minute lunch break (For employees that work more than 5 hours a day, of which, half of break is paid) they are given a 15 minute break every three hours.

Shop Rite employees enjoy a tiered raise schedule, averaging 25 cents every six months. They also enjoy many healthcare benefits for both full and part time workers.

UFCW and Wal-Mart

The UFCW has accused Wal-Mart, with its non-unionized workforce of treating its workers poorly and of driving down employment standards in the retail sector. To counter this, the union has been trying to organize the chain.

The union's attempt at organizing Wal-Mart has been unsuccessful in the U.S.A. Its only victory, at a meat-cutting department in Texas, was short-lived as the company got rid of that department nationwide soon after.

In Canada, however, UFCW managed to win union recognition at two stores in Quebec. The first, in Jonquière, closed in February 2005 after the company claimed the store was losing money and union demands would have made continued operation untenable; disputing this, union officials have claimed the closure sacrificed the store to make a point to other potential organizers. At the second, in Saint-Hyacinthe, the company and the union are currently engaged in the collective bargaining process.

The union has also applied for recognition at a dozen other Wal-Marts. These applications are pending in various provincial Labour Relation Boards.

Union Democracy

Reform movements in the UFCW

UFCW employees have undertaken a variety of grassroots and web-based efforts to reform the UFCW and challenge allegedly corrupt or undemocratic practices.

The oldest such effort, Research-Education-Advocacy-People (REAP), was founded in 1989 and primarily based in the meat packing side of the union.

The UFCW Members for Democracy (MFD) were founded in 1997 as a grassroots slate challenging the leadership of UFCW Local 1518 in British Columbia, Canada. The Members for Democracy later expanded their scope to a broader community of reform-minded workers in the Canadian and U.S. labour movements. For several years the Members for Democracy maintained a website at www.ufcw.net, but in November of 2005 the Supreme Court of British Columbia ordered them to stop using that domain name, and the MFD now maintain a website at www.uncharted.ca.

League of Independent Workers of the San Joaquin Valley

In 2003, workers at Foster Farms plants around Livingston, California voted to leave UFCW Local 1288. In 2004, these workers founded the League of Independent Workers of the San Joaquin Valley, which later affiliated with the International Association of Machinists.

External resources

Canadian Labour Congress | Change to Win Federation | Union Network International | Agriculture and forestry trade unions

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