UNION = YOUNG WORKER POWER

UFCW 5 SCHOLARSHIPS - APPLY NOW!

2010-05-26T12:16:00.000-07:00

Hey Local 5 members! You or your dependents may now apply for a $1,000.00 scholarship! Applications must be sent to the San Jose office at: 240 South Market Street, San Jose CA 95113 and received no later than July 15th. Applications are available only on the website, they can be printed out and mailed in. Twenty-five $1000.00 scholarships will be awarded by the scholarship committee by August 1st. For additional details please contact Mike Henneberry at (510) 583-8420 or mhenneberry@ufcw5.org

Good Luck!

UFCW International Scholarship Program

2010-01-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! If you are about to enter college, in college or thinking about going back to college, definitely take a look at this scholarship opportunity. Application sessions open on January 15, 2010.
Your union is about more than your paycheck and benefits. United Food & Commercial Workers International Union is about workers coming together to build better lives for ourselves. It's about creating opportunity. This is one of those examples: Each year UFCW International Union awards several scholarships of up to $8,000 each to UFCW members or their dependents.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to help you continue and/or pursue your education.

Scholarship information is available in both English and Spanish.

UFCW Internacional Programa de Becas

Tu Unión es más que el cheque de pago y beneficios. La UFCW tiene que ver con nosotros, la gente trabajadora, que nos reunimos para construir una mejor vida para todos nosotros y nuestras familias. Tiene que ver con crear oportunidades.

Y este es un ejemplo de una gran oportunidad: Cada año la UFCW entrega varias becas de hasta 8,000 dólares a los dependientes solteros de las y los integrantes de la UFCW.
No falten en aplicar por una beca.
Para mas informacion visite al sito de UFCW (has click aqui)

New video from MoveOn.org featuring R.E.M - Can't Afford to Wait

2009-09-18T10:44:00.000-07:00

Another Lost Generation? Not With a Union Voice.

2009-09-16T13:54:00.001-07:00

Another Lost Generation? Not With a Union Voice.

Shared via AddThis

Teens and young adults find a harsh Job market

2009-07-08T10:37:00.000-07:00

Many teens and young adults are having a more and more difficult time finding jobs. Any job for that matter. Check out this recent article in the L.A. Times hightlighting this issue.

From Safeway to a UFCW Local 5 S.P.U.R.

2009-07-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Tamara K. Perine. I have worked for Safeway stores for 18yrs, and in the past two years I’ve been the Shop Steward at my store #1119 Grand Ave in Oakland. This was one of the best moves made for me in the stores along with others!!!!! Since becoming the Shop Steward I have also become a S.P.U.R., which stands for Special Project Union Representative, things have taken flight since then and this has been one of the highlights of my Safeway career. First, let’s begin with the Presidential Election. Our Union (UFCW5) had given me an opportunity to take time off from the stores and do some Organizing with them, and boy did we ever!!!!! I am proud to say that due to all the organizing and volunteering that my UFCW5 union members took place in that WE did our part on seeing to it that we got President Barack Obama in office. I have worked on the Employee Free Choice Act; I’ve traveled outside of the state attending different conferences always representing my UFCW5 brothers and sisters to the fullest. I’ve met so many more of our Brothers and Sisters in other unions and gone to awesome workshops.
I have traveled to New Orleans where we participated in Barack Obama’s call to a National Day of Service, where we volunteered and worked toward restoring baseball fields for the kids in the city. I could not have done this if it was not for our union, and the S.P.U.R. project. The union also made it possible for me to participate in an African American Leadership class at the University of Berkeley. Again, this was a great opportunity for me to learn more about unions and organizing.
So this is just a small summary of what being involved in your Union activities can do for you. Volunteer some of your time if you have it, go to meetings get involved with your union, know your contract and have fun. Local 5 gets involved in many community events. I have also participated in the Juneteenth Festival, Health Care Reform Rallies, attended some City Council meetings and Organizing rallies.
Currently, I am working on getting the word out on Employee Free Choice Act! And in September I will be working on Sickle Cell Awareness with Local 5.
I have met so many wonderful people inside of our local as well as outside.
I never thought that I would be attending meetings, volunteering getting involved with the union. But this was one of the best moves I’ve made and it all started at a
Shop Stewards conference in San Jose.

Union = Young Worker Power!

2009-03-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

UNION = YOUNG WORKER POWER
Young Workers Hit Hardest By Economic
Downturn.
The Solution? A Union.
A recent study released by the Center for Economic Policy Research found that
unionized young workers earn better wages and have better benefits over
non-union young workers.
Some of the most important findings:
√ Unionized young workers earn 12.4 percent more in wages or $1.75 more per hour
than non-union young workers.
√ Unionized young workers are 17 percent more likely to have employer-provided
health insurance than non-union young workers.
√ Unionized young workers are 24 percent more likely to have a pension plan than
similar non-union young workers.
√ For young workers who work in low-wage occupations, unionization raised wages
10.2 percent, and they were 27 percent more likely to have health insurance and 26
percent more likely to have a pension plan.
Some facts about young workers wages:
√ Wages for the typical 18 to 29 year old worker was 10 percent lower in 2007 than it
has been in 1979.
√ Young workers have been the most affected group by the stagnant wage growth
over the last three decades.
√ Only when young workers come together and speak with one voice, they can fight
for higher wages and better benefits.
Source: Schmitt, John (2008). Unions and Upward Mobility for Latino Workers. Center for Economic and Policy Research.

UNIÓN = POWER JUVENILTrabajadores Jóvenes Más Afectados por CrisisEconómica.
¿La Solución? Una Unión.
Un estudio recientemente realizado por el Centro para la Investigación de Políticas
Económicas (CEPR) encontró que los jóvenes que pertenecen a una unión ganan mejores
salarios y reciben mejores beneficios que los que no pertenecen a una unión.
Este estudio encontró que:
√ Jóvenes en uniones ganan un 12.4 por ciento más en salarios o $1.75 más por hora
comparado con jóvenes que no pertenecen a una unión.
√ Jóvenes en uniones tienen un 17 por ciento más de posibilidades de tener seguro
de salud ofrecido por su patrón comparado con jóvenes que no pertenecen a una
unión.
√ Jóvenes en uniones tienen un 24 por ciento más de posibilidades de tener un plan
de pensión de retiro que los jóvenes que no pertenecen a una unión.
√ Para los trabajadores jóvenes que trabajan en las ocupaciones de salario más bajo,
pertenecer a una unión incrementó sus ingresos salariales en un 10.2 por ciento y
tienen un 27 por ciento más de posibilidades de tener seguro médico y un 26 por
ciento más de posibilidades de tener una pensión de retiro.
Algunos datos sobre los salarios que ganan los jóvenes:
√ Los salarios para el trabajador promedio entre 18 y 29 años fueron un 10 por
ciento más bajos en el 2007 que en 1979.
√ Los trabajadores jóvenes han sido los más afectados por el declive de los salarios
durante las últimas tres décadas.
√ Sólo cuando los trabajadores jóvenes se unen pueden hablar con una voz y luchar
por salarios más altos y mejores beneficios.
Fuente: Schmitt, John (2008). Unions and Upward Mobility for Latino Workers. Center for Economic and Policy Research.

Members Across the Country Support the Employee Free Choice Act! Join US!

2009-02-16T16:49:00.000-08:00

Call and write our California Senator and tell her to stand up for working families by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (202) 224.3841
331 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510

For more information go to: http://www.ufcwforfreechoice.org/

President Barack Obama Supports Employee Free Choice.

"I support this bill because in order to restore a sense of shared prosperity and security, we need to help working Americans exercise their right to organize under a fair and free process and bargain for their fair share of the wealth our country creates. The current process for organizing a workplace denies too many workers the ability to do so. The Employee Free Choice Act offers to make binding an alternative process under which a majority of employees can sign up to join a union. Currently, employers can choose to accept--but are not bound by law to accept--the signed decision of a majority of workers. That choice should be left up to workers and
workers alone."

- Barack Obama

UFCW 5 Young Workers

2009-02-01T10:08:00.000-08:00

It's a New Day (Enhanced) - will.i.am - Dipdive.com

2009-01-21T16:29:00.000-08:00

A Day in History

2009-01-20T14:02:00.000-08:00

Where were you when the historic inauguration of Barack Obama took place? Where were you when the 44th President of the United States was sworn in? Tony Alexander, UFCW5 Political Director, was in the Nations capitol fighting the chilling cold, all the while witnessing a once in a lifetime event: the inauguration of Barack Obama. The cold seemed irrelevent to the warming feeling of a new day.
Where ever you were, you, like millions of Americans, were moved. We all experienced, witnessed part of history. A new history in the making. A new history of change. A new vision of what can be. Amongst it all, there lies HOPE. Amonst trying times, perhaps awaits an even more dreary and clowdy future, nontheless, we as a country shall see through it. We will continue to face these adversities and seize them as opportunities. We have a lot of work ahead, but we have an even greater sense of fulfillment to achieve.
As President Obama stated, "What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility, a recognition on the part of every American that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world. Duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task. This is the price and the promise of citizenship."

MLK National Day of Service

2009-01-20T13:39:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King Jr. Day held a deeper meaning to many this year. UFCW members from all over the United States answered President Obama's call for a National Day of Service. UFCW5 came out to San Jose's Diridion train station to participate in the 21st Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Train. UFCW5 members, staff & Shop Stewards; Tatiana Torregian, Juana Garcia and Art Balangue, Glenda Villalta, Kelly Martinez and Debra Herrera came out to volunteer. Debra made it a family affair by bringing her husband and her daughter and granddaughter. They all showed their support by handing out Employee Free Choice Act information and gold UFCW bags to patrons awaiting to board the Freedom Train. It was wonderful to see so many people awaiting to board the train and so many people happy and excited about hope and progress. Good times!

Also, UFCW 5 members Tamara Perine and Chris Bonton participated in a 2-day service project in New Orleans. They restored parks and helped repair homes in the area. Check out the following links for these recent articles posted by our UFCW International Union website.

Way to GO Local 5! Thank you all for all your hard work!

http://www.ufcw.org/mlk_2009.cfm

http://ufcw.blogspot.com/2009/01/ufcw-members-nationwide-participate-in.html

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

2009-01-19T12:06:00.000-08:00

We commemorate on this holiday the ecumenical leader and visionary who embraced the unity of all faiths in love and truth.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is not only for celebration and remembrance, education and tribute, but above all a day of service. All across America on the Holiday, his followers perform service in hospitals and shelters and prisons and wherever people need some help. It is a day of volunteering to feed the hungry, rehabilitate housing, tutoring those who can't read, mentoring at-risk youngsters, consoling the broken-hearted and a thousand other projects for building the beloved community of his dream.
And it is the young people of all races and religions who hold the keys to the fulfillment of his dream. (www.thekingcenter.org)

Click on link below to listen to an excerpt from one of Dr. King's speeches.

http://www.thekingcenter.org/

New Year, New Programs

2009-01-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

It's 2009! We have whole year ahead of us and a whole lot going on! We have many activities, actions and programs planned for '09. We have a Ride Along program and a Logo design contest in progress. Be sure to check out the details of both of these activities on our UFCW5 website Young Workers page.

With the Ride Along, you have the opportunity to participate and receive Market Share credit ($60)!

Be sure to email us if you have any questions!

From the Campaign trail.....

2008-12-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

I want to thank all of our Rank & File members who participated in the S.P.U.R. program this past October & November. A special, special thanks to all of you that worked so hard on getting the vote out both locally and across the U.S. We have some hard working members and they truly deserve to be acknowledged. Thanks Again! We did it!......

UFCW5 members for OBAMA!

2008-12-05T12:28:00.000-08:00

2008-11-12T08:47:00.000-08:00

YES WE DID!!! Where were you at when Senator Barack Obama was announced as President Elect Barack Obama?

Get Registered!

2008-09-12T12:59:00.000-07:00

If you aren't voting, you aren't making your voice heard! It's not too late to register for the general election in November 2008. Your registration must be postmarked no later than October 20, 2008. Click here to register. Raise YOUR voice!

Employee Free Choice Act

2008-08-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) supports the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA), introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy (S. 842) and Representative George Miller (H.R. 1696). The purpose of this legislation is to level the playing field between employers and workers. This would be accomplished by providing majority card check verification (when a majority of workers sign cards indicating their support for a union) and stiffer penalties for employers that violate workers’ rights during the course of organizing campaigns or when workers negotiate their first contract.
U.S.labor law guarantees workers the right to join together in unions and bargain collectively with their employers. However, when workers attempt to organize in today’s environment their efforts are often thwarted by employer tactics designed to harass, coerce, and intimidate. These tactics suppress workers’ rights to organize a union. As currently constructed, U.S.labor law unfairly advantages employers and therefore employers violate the law with impunity and without reproach.

During a union election, employers have forced employees to sit through one-sided anti-union presentations in captive audience meetings and closed-door one-on-one meetings. Employers make illegal threats of plant closures, threaten to discharge workers, and often do fire them. Often a company will spend thousands of dollars on consultants, whose purpose is to intimidate employees to prevent them from exercising their right to organize. While many of these tactics are illegal and unethical, the law offers little redress because the remedies are so weak. For example, when the charges are upheld for illegally fired workers, the only sanction is reinstatement and back wages for the years of injustice.

The National Labor Relations Act is broken and must be fixed. EFCA would allow card check, prevent employer coercion or illegal conduct by providing stronger penalties for violations; discourage illegal firing of workers; and prevent employers from refusing to negotiate a first contract with workers. UFCW continues to lobby for new cosponsors for this important labor bill.

It is time to return balance to our labor laws by enabling employees to form or join labor organizations of their choosing and to provide for meaningful penalties for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts.

UFCW is asking every member of Congress to become a cosponsor of EFCA S. 842/ H.R. 1696.

Please show your support by signing a pledge card today at:
http://ufcwaction.org/campaign/ufcw_for_free_choice

Coming soon...

2008-08-29T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hey All!
Be sure to look out for some of our upcoming programs such as: Young Worker Ride Along, Political Department Internship and our Organizing Internship.

Also, be sure to look out for our 'Young Workers FOCUS Campaigns'. This fall will be focusing on the upcoming elections in Novemeber. The only way to achieve real change is through action. We will be looking for volunteers to help get our pro-labor candidates into office.

Yes We Can

2008-08-27T17:42:00.000-07:00