Posts tagged United Food and Commercial Workers
Oakland County Employee Slams Union with Federal Charges Over Illegal Seizure of Dues
May 4, 2023 // On April 26, Kroger employee Roger Cornett charged UFCW union officials with illegally seizing union dues from his paycheck. According to his charge, Cornett was presented with a “union membership application” form to complete during an employee orientation. The form indicated that signing it would authorize both union membership and dues deductions. Cornett’s charge says the form violates federal labor law because of its “dual purpose” nature, as the law requires any authorization for union dues deductions to be voluntary and separate from a union membership application. Cornett attempted to resign his union membership and revoke his dues deduction authorization around March 8. He successfully resigned his membership, but the union refused to stop deducting dues from Cornett’s paycheck, alleging that Cornett could only exercise his right to stop dues deductions within a tiny “window period” enforced by union officials.
Southeast Iowa man sentenced for embezzlement and theft of labor union assets
April 21, 2023 // According to court records, James Darin Boatman, 53, of New London, embezzled and stole union funds for his personal use. Boatman is the former president of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 617 Union. UFCW Local 617 members include production workers and skilled trade workers at the Conagra plant in Fort Madison. An investigation revealed Boatman, the president of the union from 2010 until 2019, set up a credit card in the union’s name, without authorization, and from at least May 2017 to August 2019 used the card for personal expenses, including vacations to Florida, large repairs on his personal vehicle, and to pay for attorney representation for an unrelated matter.
Suspect unions’ effort to evade state law could hurt marijuana workers
April 13, 2023 // In many states with adult-use legalization, state law requires legal marijuana businesses to sign a labor peace agreement, or LPA, with a “bona fide” labor union before receiving final licensing. The LPAs are contracts in which an employer agrees to be neutral during a labor-organizing campaign. In return, the union agrees not to picket, boycott or otherwise interfere with the employer’s business. States that require would-be cannabis industry operators to secure labor peace agreements under state law include some of the U.S. industry’s biggest markets: California and New York as well as New Jersey and Connecticut.
Blank Street Coffee Is Popping Up Everywhere. Workers Hope A Union Will Follow.
January 11, 2023 // deGraffenreid said the desire for unionism is “definitely in the air” when it comes to coffee shop workers, noting the massive success of Starbucks Workers United, which organized more than 200 shops at the previously non-union chain in less than a year. But interviews with deGraffenreid and three other workers supportive of the UFCW effort suggest Blank Street’s somewhat unique business model also helps explain why workers are interested in unionizing.
From Starbucks to Marijuana Dispensaries, 2022 Marked a Year of Gains for Labor Organizers in Chicago, US
December 28, 2022 // Election day also brought a win for union backers, when voters supported the so-called Workers’ Rights Amendment broadening rights in the Illinois constitution for collective bargaining. “This is a major win for workers rights that will outlast any single politicians’ term and enshrine a key right for Illinoisans for generations to come,” Governor J.B. Pritzker said in a December proclamation announcing the amendment had passed. Organizers and their supporters are also hopeful the National Labor Relations Board is about to get a financial boost in a new federal spending plan. The $25 million budget increase will be the agency’s first in nine years, according to the NLRB union. Union supporters say the agency has been chronically underfunded, weakening its ability to enforce labor laws.
Third King Soopers Employee Hits UFCW Union Officials with Federal Charge for Illegal Strike Fine
July 26, 2022 // Following union boss-ordered January strike, nonmember workers now face thousands in ‘internal union fines’ in violation of longstanding federal law Hope Schaefer, union discipline, Nick Hall, Marcelo Ruybal,
Workers Slam Grocery Union Officials with Federal Charges for Illegal Fines Topping $3,000 for Working during UFCW Strike
June 21, 2022 // Today, National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys filed charges against United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 union for illegally levying fines against King Soopers grocery chain workers who chose to exercise their right to work during a strike. The unlawful fines issued by union bosses against the workers are more per day than the workers earned in a day of work, totaling more than $3,000 throughout the 10 day strike. Nick Hall, Marcelo Ruybal, Stop & Shop, New England,
NJ Unions Hit the Bricks for Hazard Pay
June 21, 2022 // On June 16, union members, a couple with their toddlers in tow, snaked through the Capitol complex looking to present a letter making the case for hazard pay. It was signed by several union presidents, including Charles Wowkanech, president of the New Jersey AFL-CIO and was addressed to Senate President Nicholas Scutari and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin. The letter was also addressed to Gov. Phil Murphy. New Jersey Transit ATU, Janet Booker, 32 BJ SEIU, Make the Road New Jersey, Essex County Assemblywoman Mila Jasey,
Workers at Trader Joe’s, Amazon, and Starbucks Are Unionizing, But Want Their Independence From Organized Labor
June 15, 2022 // “There’s no mandate that the company has to bargain,” she says. “This is where having resources and a legal team that is funded is essential for winning.” Campos-Medina says it’s not hard to envision independent unions partnering with a national union once they get to the collective bargaining stage for resources and assistance. Yosef said that while Trader Joe’s United is independent, members of the labor community in Hadley offered legal advice and administrative support to help guide organizing workers in the process leading up to the election filing. Courtney Vinopal, Hadley, Maeg Yosef, Patricia Campos-Medina, Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations,
CDC director spoke with several union leaders before tightening masking guidance, internal calendar reveals
June 14, 2022 // Rochelle Walensky, other CDC officials kept in close contact with teachers unions throughout coronavirus pandemic Caitlin Sutherland, Americans for Public Trust, transparency, White House director of labor engagement, Becky Pringle, Jason McDonald, Republican lawmakers,