Call Senate Majority Leader
Flanagan NOW: 518-455-2071. Tell him that New York workers need 12 weeks of job-protected
paid family leave, regardless of the size of the employer.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Monday, March 14, 2016
Stop & Shop Workers Announce New Actions in Campaign for Fair Contract
Fight for a fair deal at Stop & Shop intensifies as profitable company demands cuts to grocery workers’ benefits
(PROVIDENCE, RI) – Today, the New England Council of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union announced a series of rallies in the campaign for a fair contract for 35,000 Stop & Shop workers in New England. Following a rally of hundreds of Stop & Shop workers, customers, elected officials, and community supporters last week, Stop & Shop workers will bring the same energy to five more rallies before the Easter holiday.
New England Stop & Shop workers are currently working under an expired union contract while the profitable company insists on cuts to hard-earned benefits. Stop & Shop’s parent company, Netherlands-based grocery giant Ahold, recently announced operating profits for last year in excess of $1.4 billion. Today, Ahold and Delhaize shareholders are expected to approve the merger of their companies, which will be completed later this year. Prior to closing of the merger, Ahold shareholders will receive a payout of more than $1 billion.
While paying out dividends to foreign shareholders, the company is demanding that workers accept cuts to longstanding benefits, decreasing take-home pay and cutting future retirement benefits despite a fully-funded and secure pension fund. The company is further demanding that future workers be given second-rate benefits and pay, transforming Stop & Shop’s once middle-class jobs into low-wage jobs.
“Stop & Shop’s proposals show that the company has strayed from its core values,” said Tim Melia, president of UFCW Local 328. “This used to be a company that took pride in offering the best wages and benefits in the region, and attracting the best workers. Our members are only asking for their fair share of the success their hard work has built.”
The hardworking men and women of Stop & Shop have been joined in their fight for a fair contract by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Treasurer and member of Stop & Shop’s founding family, Deb Goldberg, the combined 700,000 union members of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island State AFL-CIO Councils, and the 1.3 million members of the UFCW International Union.
Rallies will be held:
Wednesday, March 16th, 4-6 P.M.
Quincy Stop & Shop
65 Newport Ave., Quincy, MA
Thursday, March 17th, 4-6 P.M.
Dorchester Stop & Shop
1100 Massachusetts Ave, Dorchester, MA
Tuesday, March 22nd, 4-6 P.M.
Norwalk Stop & Shop
380 Main Ave, Norwalk, CT
Wednesday, March 23rd, 4-6 P.M.
East Hartford Stop & Shop
940 Silver Ln, East Hartford, CT
Thursday, March 24th, 4-6 P.M.
Holyoke Stop & Shop
28 Lincoln St, Holyoke, MA
(PROVIDENCE, RI) – Today, the New England Council of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union announced a series of rallies in the campaign for a fair contract for 35,000 Stop & Shop workers in New England. Following a rally of hundreds of Stop & Shop workers, customers, elected officials, and community supporters last week, Stop & Shop workers will bring the same energy to five more rallies before the Easter holiday.
New England Stop & Shop workers are currently working under an expired union contract while the profitable company insists on cuts to hard-earned benefits. Stop & Shop’s parent company, Netherlands-based grocery giant Ahold, recently announced operating profits for last year in excess of $1.4 billion. Today, Ahold and Delhaize shareholders are expected to approve the merger of their companies, which will be completed later this year. Prior to closing of the merger, Ahold shareholders will receive a payout of more than $1 billion.
While paying out dividends to foreign shareholders, the company is demanding that workers accept cuts to longstanding benefits, decreasing take-home pay and cutting future retirement benefits despite a fully-funded and secure pension fund. The company is further demanding that future workers be given second-rate benefits and pay, transforming Stop & Shop’s once middle-class jobs into low-wage jobs.
“Stop & Shop’s proposals show that the company has strayed from its core values,” said Tim Melia, president of UFCW Local 328. “This used to be a company that took pride in offering the best wages and benefits in the region, and attracting the best workers. Our members are only asking for their fair share of the success their hard work has built.”
The hardworking men and women of Stop & Shop have been joined in their fight for a fair contract by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Treasurer and member of Stop & Shop’s founding family, Deb Goldberg, the combined 700,000 union members of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island State AFL-CIO Councils, and the 1.3 million members of the UFCW International Union.
Rallies will be held:
Wednesday, March 16th, 4-6 P.M.
Quincy Stop & Shop
65 Newport Ave., Quincy, MA
Thursday, March 17th, 4-6 P.M.
Dorchester Stop & Shop
1100 Massachusetts Ave, Dorchester, MA
Tuesday, March 22nd, 4-6 P.M.
Norwalk Stop & Shop
380 Main Ave, Norwalk, CT
Wednesday, March 23rd, 4-6 P.M.
East Hartford Stop & Shop
940 Silver Ln, East Hartford, CT
Thursday, March 24th, 4-6 P.M.
Holyoke Stop & Shop
28 Lincoln St, Holyoke, MA
Friday, March 4, 2016
Ahold, Parent Company of Stop & Shop, Earns Billions in Profit, but Refuses to Do What Is Right for its Employees.
 |
| Current Stop & Shop fruitbowl logo, shared with Giant-Landover (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Ahold continues to ignore that hard-working Stop & Shop employees are the ones who make stores a success.
(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) New England Council released the following statement responding to Ahold’s latest earnings report: “Ahold, the parent company of Stop & Shop should be ashamed. Despite their continued profita-bility, earning in excess of $10 billion in profit last year, they continue to demand cuts to their employees’ hard-earned wages and benefits.
“The truth is that the hard-working men and women at Stop & Shop are the key to the company’s success. It is their dedication and commitment to the customers and the communities they serve that provides Stop & Shop with a real business advantage. “It is absolutely absurd to think that such a profitable company would follow a shortsighted low-road, low-wage business model. Doing so is a recipe for failure - not success.
“The reality is that customers want to support responsible employers that reflect their values and treat their employees with respect. Stop & Shop customers deserve better, our hard-working members deserve better, and the communities they serve deserve better.
“It's time for Stop & Shop to do what is right and provide a fair contract for the thousands of hard working men and women who make their stores a success.”
Thursday, March 3, 2016
We're Hiring
We're excited to
announce we are accepting applications to join our Union Organizing
team! This posting is exclusive to UFCW Local 1500 members. Check out
the job posting below and if you're interested, send in your
application!
—JOB POSTING —
Job title: Union Organizer
Position location: Westbury, NY
Start Date: As soon as possible
Summary:
The United Food
and Commercial Workers Local 1500 is the largest grocery retail union in
New York with over 20,000 members working in grocery stores,
pharmacies, and other industry jobs. We are a committed to building a
powerful union that fights for economic, political, and social justice
in our workplaces and communities. We are seeking a self-motivated, skilled and enthusiastic person to join our Organizing team.
Main Function:
To identify, recruit and develop workers in the work place and greater
community. This includes engaging workers at or near their work place,
areas of public transit and the community.
Principal duties and requirements:
• Labor, political, or community activism/organizing experience required.
• Build one-on-one relationships with workers.
• Recruit and develop the leadership ability of workplace leaders and worker committees.
• Motivate individual workers and groups of workers to take action.
• Engage workers in broader union efforts to bring pressure to bear on industry sectors.
• Coordinate
with workers to gather information that is useful in identifying
opportunities for membership growth and mobilization.
• Commitment to social justice and worker's rights required.
• Willingness to conduct house visits and store visits.
• Ability to
engage and inspire people regardless of religion, race, gender, sexual
orientation, age, language, class and/or experiences is required.
• Must be flexible and willing to work long irregular hours, early mornings, evenings, and weekends
• Must have a reliable insured car and valid driver's license.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced team environment.
• Basic writing and computer skills, general knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Preferably live centrally within Local 1500’s jurisdiction.
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Bilingual speaking (Spanish) is preferred.
Salary:
This position
offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience. Full time
position is subject to a probation period of six months.
To apply:
E-mail cover letter and resume with subject line “Union Organizer” to jobs@ufcw1500.org.
Please be as specific as possible in cover letter with experience and
skills that you have and include why you want to be a Union Organizer
for UFCW Local 1500. No mail applications. Incomplete applications will
not be considered. Position will remain open until filled.
The United
Food & Commercial Workers Local 1500 is an equal opportunity
employer. We encourage applications from women, people of color and
other members of underrepresented groups who will contribute to the
diversity of our staff.
Have a great day,
UFCW Local 1500
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Stop & Shop New England Members Have No Contract
—MESSAGE TO ALL OUR STOP & SHOP MEMBERS & THEIR FAMILIES —
RE: THE STATUS OF OUR New England negotiations
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As part of our
great union family, we all have a responsibility to work together to
improve and better the lives of all our incredible members – regardless
of where they or we live. The simple truth is we know how hard you work,
and it is because of your efforts that companies like Stop’n Shop
succeed and our communities made better.
 | |
| Secretary-Treasurer Tony Speelman sits in at New England negotiations last week |
Unfortunately, as our union family members across New England are witnessing, Stop’n Shop has decided to pursue a deplorable needless negotiation strategy that seeks to undermine the better life they have earned through your hard work.
As you may know, there are over 35,000 UFCW members in New England – represented by five Locals – who are currently engaged in contract negotiations with the Stop’n Shop Company. From the very beginning, these Locals have negotiated in good faith, and all we’ve asked of Stop’n Shop is to do what is right by our members and their families.
The simple truth
is that Stop’n Shop is a success because of you and all our members who
work there. It is because of your dedication and commitment to serving
our amazing customers and the communities we love, that Stop’n Shop
succeeds.
Instead of doing what is right, Stop & Shop presented contract proposals that were nothing short of a slap in the face to these men and women – people just like you.
Not only is Stop’n Shop refusing to respect the hard work of our New England members, they are proposing dramatic changes to these contracts.
Stop & Shop’s actions are wrong.
While your contract may not be involved, what the company is proposing is a threat to every member of our union family.
Make no mistake, Stop & Shop’s actions in New England – if unstopped – will set a lower standard that the company will use when YOUR contract is up for negotiation. This is an issue that MUST matter to all of us.
Join with us, and stand with our brothers and sisters in New England. Help them, and help all of us, fight for the better life and good contract we all earn through our hard work.
So, here are the two things we’re asking you do.
First, call the Stop’n Shop Customer Service Number at 1 (800) 767-7772, and tell them to stop threatening our New England members and their families. Tell them that your and your local stand with our New England union family. Tell them, to do what is right.
Second, please tell your family and friends to do the same. Everytime Stop’n Shop hears us will send a clear message that we are a proud union family.
We stand together.
And, we fight for each other – no matter where we call home.
Thank you for all that you do, and for the privilege of serving you:
Richard Abondolo
President, UFCW Local 342
John T. Niccollai
President, UFCW Local 464-A
Harvey Whille
President, UFCW Local 1262
Sam Ferraino, Jr.
President, UFCW Local 1360
Bruce W. Both
President, UFCW Local 1500
John R. Durso
President, RWDSU Local 338