President Perrone: Celebrating Marriage Equality and Continuing the Fight for Full LGBT Equality

“While we are celebrating today, it’s worth remembering that there is still a lot of work be done before LGBT people have full equality under the law.”

Washington, D.C. — Marc Perrone, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges.

“Today, marriage equality is finally the law of the land. This decision secures equality and dignity for every family in all fifty states. Our UFCW family strongly supports full equality for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people - not just the right of all people to marry the person they love, but also equal rights when it comes to employment and immigration policies. It is a historic victory that was simply unimaginable just two decades ago.

While we are celebrating today, it’s worth remembering that there is still a lot of work be done before LGBT people have full equality under the law. In a majority of states, there is nothing to prevent a worker from being discriminated against or fired simply because of who they love, or because of their gender identity or expression. And LGBT workers’ partners and families can be unfairly excluded from workplace policies and benefits like health coverage or family leave.

A UFCW union contract is often the only protection LGBT workers and their families have from these indignities. The UFCW is proud to play a part in the growing momentum towards equality – from bargaining union contracts that recognize LGBT workers and their families, to fighting for change at the state level, to marching in solidarity at pride parades and celebrations in towns across America.”

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Join the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) online at www.ufcw.org We are 1.3 million families standing together to build an economy that every hard-working family deserves.

Super Monday News Bites:

A&P is heading to the bankruptcy judge today to seek approval of their re-organization plan.

Employees at an A&P in Armonk have filed labor complaints, claiming they weren't properly notified in the appropriate amount of time that the store would be store closing.


Giant Food has purchased two Fresh & Greens stores in Maryland. They were part of a group of eight former SuperFresh stores that Fresh & Green's parent company, Toronto-based Natural Market Restaurant Group, acquired last year from A&P.
More @ Supermarket News.

An EEOC charged has been filed against Walmart.

More: Discriminated women working at Walmart are still seeking justice against the retail giant after the sex discrimination suit which was thrown out of the US Supreme court last year. From the Huffington Post:

Five hundred female employees in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina filed discrimination charges last week with the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that litigates on behalf of workers against their employers. The filings will pave the way for women to continue their fight in lower courts after being turned away last summer by the Supreme Court in their class action against Walmart. The women argue that Walmart systematically favors men over women for raises and promotions.

A blogger is campaigning to bring another Trader Joe's to Queens.

And congratulations to our New York Giants, Super Bowl Champions!!!

UFCW News: Organizations Urge Supreme Court to Uphold Civil Rights and Workers' Laws in Amicus Brief Filed Today...

MAJOR WORKER ORGANIZATIONS URGE SUPREME COURT TO UPHOLD CIVIL RIGHTS AND WORKERS’ LAWS IN AMICUS BRIEF FILED TODAY

(Washington, DC) –The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), AFL-CIO, and Change to Win have filed a joint amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting the plaintiffs in the Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., sex discrimination case.

A joint statement follows:

“For more than 45 years, American workers have sought protection from the courts for equal treatment in the workplace. Workers have joined together to remedy widespread discriminatory workplace practices through class action proceedings and by applying the nation’s civil rights standards to their workplaces. Today, Walmart is attempting to undo that standard by claiming its female associates have no right to appeal for justice as a class.

In our amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, we ask the court to uphold the fundamental pillar of the Civil Rights Act and to ensure that the class action process remains open to workers in all industries.

Walmart is not too big for justice. No employer should be beyond justice for its workers. Workers must have a voice in the legal process. The cost to Walmart if it loses the suit would be a fair recompensation for billions of dollars in lost wages and benefits owed to female employees who have lost opportunities as a result of Walmart’s discriminatory actions.

With more than 1.4 million associates nationwide, Walmart has single-handedly transformed the American economy by setting workplace standards by which all other retailers and employers are forced to compete. Because Walmart’s employment practices are so influential, its female associates must be allowed to have their day in court. We congratulate the brave women who initiated this complaint and who seek to create a Walmart workplace that treats all associates equally.”

For more information on the Dukes v. Walmart Stores case, visit www.walmartclass.com

UFCW News Service
www.ufcw.org

Friday Morning One Liners...Ahold buys a new chain,

""Farm workers are human beings. We're not farm animals. We have human rights. We should be treated like other workers in Ontario and be allowed to unionize," farm worker Mindy Leng said in a written release.

After Colorado's Safeway workers rejected their "last, best and final offer", they're now sitting in limbo after the vote to reject the proposal was nearly 63%.   Meanwhile a majority of King Soopers members 'OK'd' the deal.  The Colorado Gazette is reporting that five small bargaining units  rejected the King Soopers contract.

Union Market, a specialty grocer from Brooklyn has announced plans to open its third store, this one in Cobble Hill.

Pfizer plans 95 more layoffs in Pearl River, the announcement comes after Pfizer said two weeks ago that it would lay off 200 of 2,931 employees by March 12.... Layoffs include 49 union members on March 14, 46 non-union workers on March 26.

Sommerville workers OK a new contract after a five day strike.

Price Chopper Supermarkets, is offering $54 million in cash to acquire 22 of Penn Traffic's locations, according to a filing in bankruptcy court yesterday.  Penn Traffic employees met this week to discuss bankruptcy.

King Kullen has named a new Real Estate Director.

Supermarket News reported yesterday, Ukrop’s Super Markets, the family-owned chain that became a local institution and an industry icon, is being acquired by Ahold’s Giant-Carlisle division, the chains said today. Ahold said it would pay about $140 million for 25 stores and one new location.




Ahold has also announced that changes will be gradual...The Washington Post has more.
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Pricerite will take over an old Pathmark in Connecticut

Ontario Farm Workers take their fight to supreme court. T"hese workers are looking to the Supreme Court to tell the [Ontario] government, once and for all, that agricultural workers in Ontario have the same human rights as every other Ontario worker — including their rights, guaranteed by the [Canadian Charter of Rights of Freedoms] to join a union and bargain collectively."  Wayne Hanley, UFCW Canada President,

Wal-Mart CEO aims to dominate Online Retail, Forbes.com

Walmart's battle to build in Dallas continues. 

Politics
NYC is asking consumers to grade eatery cleanliness.

AFL-CIO Blog: House passes Jobs Bill:
By a 217-212 vote, the House passed a package that would extend unemployment insurance, aid state governments and fund important infrastructure projects. Some of these initiatives are renewals of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which are set to expire at the end of the year.


Thompson leads Gillibrand 41-28 percent among Democrats, the Quinnipiac University survey found...Read more

NY Times: Jobless rate in NYC falls to 10%, 400,000 still need work.

MTA approves 2010 'doomsday' budget.

NY Times: Last month, 355,000 people in the city received welfare payments, a 4 percent increase over the year before, according to city officials, who predict that if the economy does not recover, the growth will continue for at least 18 months.