Why Workers Deserve Your Attention and Respect

By Tony Speelman
@aspeel1500

Tony Speelman, President UFCW Local 1500

While most Americans view Labor Day as the last long weekend of the summer and another day off work, this is the one day we should all stop for a minute and recognize the countless number of men and women across New York who make our community work. From workers at Stop & Shop to Fairway, these amazing people are dedicated and passionate, sacrifice for the good of others, and are committed to creating a better life for themselves and their families.

Jerome Gomez, a UFCW Local 1500 member working at Fairway Market, regularly donates blood to help his community. Or take a look at Georgette Wilson a UFCW Local 1500 members from Stop & Shop, who besides fundraising and walking each year for cancer charities like the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk and the Light the Night Walk, she travels to Albany every year to fight for better legislation to help New York workers and to help her community. These are the true every day heroes of Labor Day.

While these stories may not be new, they are rarely given the media attention that a vacuous celebrity, lying athlete, or misbegotten politician can attract with a single tweet. While that may speak to a failure in our culture, we have opportunity on Labor Day to remember and acknowledge what this day is truly about. It’s about workers. It’s about real people. In fact, the the history behind this misunderstood holiday was actually a result of one of the most intense and violent struggles for workers’ rights.  

In 1894, during a time of severe economic and social unrest, thousands of workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest the way George Pullman, founder and president of the company, treated his workers. To put down the strike, Pullman gained the support of President Grover Cleveland, who ordered federal troops to intervene—leading to a bloody confrontation and the deaths of more than 30 Pullman workers. Soon afterwards and amid growing criticism of the brutal response to the striking workers, President Cleveland established Labor Day as a national holiday in an effort to appease organized labor.

It’s been 122 years since the Pullman Strike, and our country is still grappling with economic divisions and social unrest.

Today, millions of hard-working Americans are struggling like never before in low-paying jobs with erratic schedules and little to no benefits.

It is the sad reality that, in addition to stagnant wages and incomes, too many of America’s workers face dangerous workplaces, exploitation, and mistreatment every single day. Many are also too afraid to reach for a better life because of threats from an irresponsible employer or they are conditioned to believe that they have not earned the opportunity for something more.

Here in New York, hard-working men and women who choose to become part of a union family soon realize they need not struggle alone. In Westbury UFCW Local 1500 represents workers at Stop & Shop, Food Bazaar, Tops Markets, Fairway Market, Key Food, Gristedes, D’Agostino, ShopRite, King Kullen and PeaPod.

Whether someone is a union member or not, the fact is that no one in America should have to struggle alone. Every hard-working person deserves a better life because they’ve earned it.

This Labor Day and in the days leading up to Election Day, we have a responsibility to speak out for each other and our communities. We can start by honoring the sacrifices working people here in New York City that have made to our shared prosperity of New York and this country.

Yet, if we are really going to change this nation for the better, it must begin with all of us realizing that Labor Day is not about one last summery day. Rather, it’s about the day where we all realize the power we have to come together and define a better future for all hard-working families.

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President Speelman Congratulates Hillary Clinton on Democratic Nomination

Hillary Clinton with UFCW Local 1500 President Tony Speelman

Anthony Speelman, president of New York's largest grocery workers union, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500, released the following statement after Secretary Hillary Clinton secured the delegates necessary to clinch the Democratic nomination for president of United States of America:

"Congratulations to Secretary Hillary Clinton on securing delegates for the Democratic nomination. Secretary Clinton has broke yet another barrier in our nation’s history by becoming the first woman presidential nominee for a major political party. I congratulate her for her resilience, dedication and commitment to helping all Americans. She is clearly the most qualified and deserving candidate for President of United States of America.

“While the presumed Republican candidate continues to speak and focus on building walls to divide families and our country, Secretary Clinton’s message and vision remains on uniting our country, and helping hard working Americans.

“Senator Sanders has energized and inspired millions of men and women, I congratulate him. I urge his supporters to unite behind Secretary Clinton. Once the Democratic party unites, our voices will become even stronger to fight for a better middle class, and to make sure hard working men and women aren't left behind. It is only a unified voice that can crumble the campaigns of hate and division run by the Republican party."

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United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 is New York's largest grocery workers union, representing over 20,000 men and women throughout New York. Join us at ufcw1500.org and follow us @ufcw1500.

New York's Largest Grocery Workers Union Urges Senator Bernie Sanders to End Presidential Bid

Anthony Speelman, Secretary-Treasurer of New York's largest grocery workers union, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500, released the following statement after Secretary Hillary Clinton's New York Primary Victory:

"Congratulations to Secretary Clinton on her primary victory in New York. Secretary Clinton has a tremendous history of fighting for hard working New Yorkers. Our members know her values and we were excited to help campaign for her over the past few weeks. Whether it was knocking on doors or making calls, we are proud to support a candidate that will unite our country. She is clearly the most qualified candidate for President.

"Senator Bernie Sanders has run a tremendous campaign, bringing many issues facing working men and women in our country to national attention. He has inspired and engaged many amazing people throughout our country. However, now is the time for him to end his Presidential campaign.

"I urge Senator Sanders to end his bid for President of United States of America and to unite the Democratic Party. By doing so, our voices will become even stronger to fight for a better middle class, and to make sure hard working men and women aren't left behind. It is only a unified voice that can crumble the campaigns of hate and division run by the Republican Party."

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United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500 is New York's largest grocery workers union, representing over 20,000 men and women throughout New York. Join us at ufcw1500.org and follow us @ufcw1500.

New York UFCW GOTV for Hillary Clinton

Sat. April 16th: GOTV for Hillary, Locations Throughout New York State

Primary day in New York is approaching fast! April 19th is only a few weeks away and the UFCW is gearing up to help Hillary Clinton over the next two weeks. 

On April 16th we'll be hitting the streets in UFCW gold to canvas and phone bank for the Hillary campaign. There are many volunteer GOTV locations throughout our entire jurisdiction. If you're interested in helping out, please contact your Union Representative and he/she will give you details on the event.

For specific questions, please contact Brendan Sexton.

UFCW Endorses Hillary Clinton for President

Former President Clinton visited Pathmark in the 90's

Some breaking news from our International President Marc Perrone. As the early primary and caucus states are gearing up to vote in just three weeks, the UFCW is announcing its endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.

Please read the message from International President Perrone below:

Dear Sisters and Brothers:

Since last year, we have actively engaged and reached out to our diverse 1.3 million members about the issues they care about and the positions they want the next President of the United States to fight for.  Based on this feedback, the UFCW is announcing today its endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President of the United States.

We have been completely committed to pursuing a thorough presidential endorsement process. This effort included a series of nationwide meetings with current members and UFCW Local Union officers, internal polls of our union members, as well as focus groups with working and middle class non-union families from across the country who currently work or have worked in retail. By doing this, we were able to determine the issues that matter most to UFCW members and the workers we fight for every day.

Based on these results, as well as additional discussions with UFCW Local Union Presidents and the UFCW International Executive Board, the collective decision was that Hillary Clinton is indeed the best qualified and positioned candidate to win in 2016 and fight for the issues--such as job security, fair scheduling, paid leave, raising wages, immigration, and health care reform--that matter most to our diverse union family.

Hillary Clinton has also held consistent polling leads with women, African Americans and Hispanics.  The broad diversity of the people who support her, coupled with her robust stances on the most important issues, point to our members’ having a strong belief that Hillary Clinton is not just the strongest presidential candidate, but the right one.

Our incredible members, both retail and non-retail workers, who help feed and serve this nation, deserve a president like Hillary Clinton who will fight to make sure that paid leave, stable schedules, and higher wages become more than an election promise--they’ll become a reality.

In Solidarity,

Marc

Support For Unions: Up

The latest results from the 2015 installment of Gallup’s annual Work and Education survey show that Americans’ approval of labor unions has jumped five percentage points to 58% over the past year, and is now at its highest point since 2008, when 59% approved. Consistent with the recent increase in approval of unions, the percentage of Americans saying they would like labor unions to have more influence in the country has also been rising, and now stands at 37%, up from 25% in 2009. Meanwhile, the percentage wanting unions to have less influence has declined from 42% to 35%.

Related articles

• Americans want unions
• Poll: Americans' view of labor unions improving

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New York's UFCW Local 1500 Endorses Clinton

6/21/2007

New York's UFCW Local 1500 Endorses Clinton

The Clinton Campaign today announced the endorsement of New York's United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500.

"No one has been a greater friend of the working men and women of New York than Senator Clinton," said UFCW Local 1500 President Bruce Both. "Time and again she has supported our efforts to organize and improve wages, benefits and working conditions. She has fought for us as a Senator, and we know she would continue her advocacy for working families as President of the United States."

UFCW 1500 represents more than 22,000 members working in the grocery industry across the metropolitan New York area, and is the largest grocery workers union in the state.

"I am honored to receive the support of UFCW Local 1500," Clinton said. "America's working families have been invisible to this administration, and it's time they had a partner in the White House."