More drivers for America’s largest organic and natural food supplier United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) have voted to join the Teamsters. The 100 drivers who distribute food from the company’s Montgomery, New York, facility to Whole Foods and other organic, natural, and specialty stores in the New York City area have voted to join Teamsters Local 445. UNFI workers in Moreno Valley, California, achieved their first union contract earlier this year, joining Teamsters unions at UNFI distribution centers in Dayville, Connecticut; Edison, New Jersey; Iowa City, Iowa; Auburn (Seattle), Washington; and Leicester, Massachusetts.
Tag Archives: recent news
Starbucks, JPMorgan Vow to Raise Wages
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced in a memo to all 157,000 employees in company-operated stores will receive a wage hike as of October 3. The pay Starbucks pay hike came as the company is under fire from employees unhappy that Starbucks has cut their hours. An online petition posted on coworker.org in June claims that cutbacks in hours and staffing at stores is killing employee morale and hurting customer service. It’s so far garnered 12,800 signatures. The news of the pay raise also came one day before Starbucks price hikes, raising its prices by up to 30 cents.
The political pressure to raise pay for low-level workers is beginning to have an effect on other corporate giants as well. On July 12, JPMorgan Chase & Co. said it will raise the minimum wage for 18,000 US workers over the next three years. This increase at the largest bank in the US increase bring wages up from the floor of $10.15 to $12 to $16.50 an hour.
Farm Workers Aren’t Free
Freedom to come together and negotiate in a union is even more important when it comes to migrant farm workers. Fear of retaliation on farms in the US is so widespread. Farm bosses know they can bring people in to work, treat them poorly, deny those who stand up for their rights a visa for next season, and in that way, keep them “in line.”
One recent and disturbing case is Jose Alberto who worked at the farm of North Carolina Senator Brent Jackson for four years. After he accidently broke a piece of equipment, he was fired for refusing to pay for it and evicted from his housing. When he and six other workers filed a lawsuit against Jackson Farming Company for unpaid wages and Alberto’s unjust firing, a farm employee called them at their homes in Mexico and threatened them. None have been offered farm jobs this season.
Visit: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/stop-the-retaliation-of-farm-workers-at-jackson-farming-company-2?source=blog to send an e-mail to state senator of North Carolina and owner of Jackson Farming Co., Brent Jackson, and tell him to stop the retaliation, rehire blacklisted and fired workers, and allow employees to negotiate together to create a better workplace.
Singer Brad Paisley Rallies for Flood Victims
On June 23rd, West Virginia, home state of country singer Brad Paisley of local 257 (Nashville, TN) experienced one of the deadliest floods in the state’s history, which killed more than 20 people and destroyed entire small towns. He’s doing something big to help, and he needs your support.
Three counties have been declared federal disasters and 44 of the 55 counties have been declared in a state of emergency. Paisley set up a GoFundMe page, with a goal of $1 million—a small portion of what’s needed, but the quickest way to provide some relief to the victims. Please help. https://www.gofundme.com/westvirginiafloods
All funds donated will be distributed through West Virginia Flood Relief 2016—The Brad Paisley Foundation at WESBANCO Trust Department in Wheeling, WV.
Canadian Postal Strike Looming
Pensions for new hires is one of the main sticking points as talks between Canada Post and its 50,000 unionized workers go down to the wire, with the post office warning services could come to a halt by July 2.
Canada Post, which turned a $44-million profit in the first quarter of 2016, is insisting that new employees receive a less generous pension package than the one offered to existing letter carriers and postal plant workers. “They are asking us to sell out our future co-workers and agree to major cuts,” Mike Palecek, president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), says. Of management’s recent refusal to extend negotiations, he says “They don’t really want to give us a chance to settle a deal. They want us out and they want the public to blame the postal workers for management’s decisions.”
Canada Post and the union have been in negotiations since December 2015. The post office, a Crown Corporation, has made up for declines in letter mail and now delivers two out of every three purchases that Canadians make online. Canada Post grew its parcel revenue by 12.5 percent in the first three months of 2016.
AFL-CIO Endorses Clinton for President
The general board of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO voted to endorse Hillary Clinton for President. “Hillary Clinton is a proven leader who shares our values,” says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “Throughout the campaign, she has demonstrated a strong commitment to the issues that matter to working people, and our members have taken notice.
The AFL-CIO will put in motion its ground campaign to elect Clinton and union-endorsed candidates across the country. Trumka pledges to run a sophisticated, targeted ground campaign, adding “With the dire consequences Donald Trump poses for America’s working families, it has to be.” Trumka praised Senator Bernie Sanders who he says “brought an important voice to this election, and has elevated critical issues and strengthened the foundation of the labor movement. We are ready to fight hard to restore faith in America and improve the lives of all working people.”
United for Orlando Victims
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, and Executive Vice President Tefere Gebre released a statement in response to the murder of 49 people at Pulse, an LGBTQ nightclub in Orlando. It reads, in part: “These are our brothers, sisters and friends. At least one was our member. … Labor is one big family, made up of people of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, and gender identities. As a family, we will work to provide comfort to our brothers and sisters in Orlando and across the United States. And we will make it our daily mission to ensure America’s workplaces and union halls are safe and free from bigotry. … There will be some who try to use this tragedy to further divide us, to pit communities against each other and scapegoat entire faith traditions. Let us be perfectly clear: giving in to division and fear will only add insult to injury. This is a moment for us to come together, embrace our common humanity and take the necessary steps to make our country safer, stronger, and more united.”
Canadian Musician Writes Song for Refugees
AFM member Robert Graham of Local 149 (Toronto, ON) was so moved by the Middle East refugee crisis that he wrote a song and produced a video about it. All proceeds from “It Could Be You” go to the International Red Cross for their work with refugees worldwide.
“I wrote the song after experiencing frustration with people and governments who cannot seem to feel empathy for the plight of refugees, and the lack of the ability to place themselves in the their shoes,” says Graham. “The title says it all—‘It Could Be You.’”
To view the video and make a donation by purchasing the single visit: www.thefairestandbest.com/it-could-be-you-the-single.
John Williams Receives Life Achievement Award
With 50 Academy Award nominations to his credit and nearly six decades’ worth of iconic film and television themes, composer John Williams of Locals 47 (Los Angeles, CA) and 9-535 (Boston, MA) has many achievements. On June 9, a gala celebrated Williams as the latest recipient of the American Film Institute’s Life Achievement Award—the first composer to ever receive the award.
Williams, 84, was honored by an A-list assortment of the filmmakers and stars of the many films his music has enriched, including Harry Potter, Superman, and every Star Wars film. Steven Spielberg—who has had a 44-year, 27-film collaboration with Williams, including beloved scores for Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, and Schindler’s List—was the first to pay tribute to the movie/music titan.
“Without John Williams, bikes don’t really fly, nor do brooms in Quidditch matches, and nor do men in red capes. There is no Force. Dinosaurs do not walk the Earth. We do not wonder; we do not weep; we do not believe,” Spielberg told a star-packed audience, in reference to a just a few of Williams more than 150 film and television credits.
Staffing Agency Fined for Misclassification
According to the US Department of Labor, Allstars Staffing LLC of Tempe Arizona, will have to pay more than $151,000 for misclassifying staff that it provided to resorts and hotels as independent contractors rather than employees. In misclassifying the employees, it avoided paying overtime to employees who worked more than 40 hours a week.
Allstars Staffing will pay $75,683 in overtime, back wages plus an equal, additional amount in damages to 275 employees. It will also pay a $22,094 civil penalty for the violations.