UFCW Local 99 aims for a brighter future
By Jim McLaughlin President, UFCW Local 99, and UFCW International Vice President

In last month’s issue of 99Report, we highlighted Local 99’s 14th Annual Charity Golf Tournament at the Raven Golf Club in Phoenix. With that event we passed the million-dollar mark in our fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and other causes.

Our coverage gave much-deserved attention to the young beneficiaries of the Society’s efforts to help families affected by devastating blood cancers. We call attention to another group of young people who are helped by the generosity and hard work of our union’s members, staff and friends. By clicking here, you will see profiles of the winners of Local 99’s 2010 Scholarship Competition, including in-depth features about our top three scholarship winners, Shelby Till, Phillip Lorenz and Sonya Hutchinson. All of the scholarship winners are beneficiaries of our annual Charity Golf Tournament.

The common thread is our union’s commitment to the future. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society works to ensure that children afflicted with deadly cancers will have a future. Our Scholarship Program exists so our young people can build better futures for themselves and all humanity.

Our union has always understood that education is the key to our dreams of better lives. That is why we encourage our members and their families to reach for the best education possible.

Education is a lifelong commitment for ourselves and for our loved ones. Knowledge helps us assure a secure life, but it does much more than that. It adds richness to the human spirit.

The young scholars featured are setting their sights on becoming the doctors, scientists, pharmacists, veterinarians, teachers, administrators and leaders of tomorrow. We wish them success and back up our wishes with grants that will make their tasks a little easier.

The scholarship process began last fall and winter, when scores of students and aspiring students saw the announcement and application form in the pages of 99Report. They completed the form, certifying they were members, children of members or spouses of members, and sent it to the union.

After a rigorous civics test the top applicants were then sent a four-page questionnaire on which they were asked to describe their academic and extracurricular achievements, their work histories, the people who influence their lives the most and what they envisioned their lives would be like 20 years from now.

An independent committee of top professionals reviewed the questionnaires carefully. Over a two-day period, scholarship finalists were called in for interviews with the committee members, who then voted on the winners.

UFCW Local 99 thanks the Scholarship Committee members for volunteering their time and efforts throughout this rigorous process. Their participation ensures that our scholarships will help those who deserve and need them the most. We also congratulate the scholarship winners and wish them the brightest of futures.

Labor’s commitment: We WILL fight for you!
By President Jim McLaughlin, UFCW International Vice President

I spend a lot of time driving around the state — the country, for that matter — and I always find it interesting to see the bumper stickers on people’s cars.

Some are inspirational, like “Support Our Troops.” Others offer encouragement, like “My Child is an Honor Student.” Then others poke a bit of fun, like “My Kid Can Beat Up Your Honor Student.”

But lately there has been one with a different message that I see quite a bit: “The Weekend, Brought to You By the Labor Movement.”

Now, the 40-hour week is one of the significant accomplishments we can point to as a result of a strong Labor Movement, but what about pensions, health care, child labor laws, the minimum wage, etc.?

Many of our accomplishments won’t fit on a bumper sticker. These are the accomplishments we defend and fight for every time we go to negotiations or when our elected officials go to work.

I wonder what the United Mine Workers thought in 1969 when the federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act was passed to protect people who work in some of the most dangerous jobs in our country.

Did they expect that, 41 years later, mine owners would still put their workers in danger every single day with no regard for the families they would leave behind?

Did they think that mine operators like Massey Energy Company would falsify documents to the government? Could they predict that a single employer would be cited for 1,100 safety violations during a three-year period and still be allowed to operate?

Did they expect that, on April 5, 2010, 29 miners would die unnecessarily in a terrible explosion?

We have accomplished much, but we still have much to do to protect workers’ rights and safety throughout this country.

From the mines to the meat packing plants to the bakery departments in our stores, we must always be searching for ways to protect workers and we must always be vigilant so no one rolls back our standards. We must protect working families every day.

My favorite bumper sticker, which I saw in Washington, D.C., was from the U.S. Coast Guard:

“Elvis, if you are out there, we WILL find you.”

Maybe we should put a similar commitment on a bumper sticker:

“Working families … we WILL fight for you.”

Our new health care law makes sense in many ways
By Jim McLaughlin President, UFCW Local 99, and UFCW International Vice President

Years ago, the state of Arizona passed a law saying that all drivers must carry a certain amount of auto insurance on their cars.

There was an uproar at the time from some people who said the government shouldn’t be allowed to do this. They said they should be free to drive without having to buy insurance — in other words, they had a right to be irresponsible.

Fortunately, the law was allowed to remain on the books, and now auto insurance rates are relatively low and affordable in our state. That’s because many more people who pay automobile premiums now share the costs of insurance claims that are paid out. I’m paying the same automobile insurance rates as I was years ago.

It’s not exactly the same thing, but this is the idea behind the “mandate” of the newly-passed national health reform law.

The law requires all Americans to have health insurance, either through a private insurance company, an employer-paid plan or through a government program like Medicare. (The members of UFCW Local 99 already have an excellent health plan, so you won’t need to buy insurance.)

Having more people who buy into the health insurance system will hold down the costs of insurance premiums. There is strength in numbers. The law includes ways for people who have low incomes to get affordable health insurance.

The law also provides new opportunities for Americans to enroll in Medicare or get financial help if they need it to buy health insurance. Click here for explanation of Highlights of the law.

Driving down costs

All of these changes will contribute to driving down the costs of health insurance, just as Arizona’s law has driven down the cost of auto insurance.

As a result of our new federal law, more than 30 million Americans who did not have health insurance before will soon be covered.

How does this affect the members of UFCW Local 99? For one thing, it strengthens our health benefits trust fund. This fund, which pays for our health care, has been paying higher fees to doctors and hospitals because they are forced to care for people who don’t have health insurance. Now that almost everyone will have health insurance, our trust fund will only have to pay the actual costs of caring for our members.

The new health care reform law isn’t perfect, but it makes sense in many ways. It will help control costs and make health insurance affordable.

It’s all about helping people take care of themselves and others.

I, as do most Americans, want our children to grow up in a country that provides for its citizens. Passing this bill into law is a step in the right direction.

Health care should not be for a privileged few. Health care is a right that all Americans deserve to share.

Sharing the past to protect our future
By Jim McLaughlin President, UFCW Local 99, and UFCW International Vice President

It is not unusual for me to discuss my family in my articles because it is an easy way to make a point.

I have three kids and have been married for 15 years, so I have some life experiences that help me do my job better and make me a better person. But I can also use some of my experiences to advise others (even if they don’t ask, I sometimes find myself there to give advice).

Recently, my good friend (Mark) and his wife (Cathy) had their first baby (Sofia). Sofia was born just before Christmas and is beautiful and healthy, and she has brought a lot of happiness and excitement into this young family.

I don’t think Mark and I have a conversation without an update on the baby or questions about “Did this happen to you guys?” coming up.

Lately, when we talk on the phone, it reminds me of how fun it was with our first, Kylie, but also how scared my wife and I were.

Now, Mark and Cathy are smart people who can probably get the answers they need by themselves, or at least they can check my answers against the opinions of their other friends, but it helps that I can be a resource.

We all enjoy helping other people. At our jobs we have new co-workers coming in all the time, and we watch them standing there with blank looks on their faces, some of them wondering what the heck they are doing there.

Whether it is bagging, stocking, cashiering, wrapping, etc., it does not matter. When we see that look, it reminds us of our own early days at work.

We have many people in the stores who see that look and have the natural instinct to give advice. That really is the role of union members.

We must make sure that future members get advice from those of us who care about the jobs we have, the industries we work in and the future of both. We must make sure that the jobs we have remain good jobs with adequate health care and wages to provide for a family. We must make sure our industries continue to respect the work we do.

To achieve these goals, we must fight to keep our union strong. That is one of the first things we should explain to our new coworkers. They should join, they should participate and they should be heard in our union.

In our explanations, we should share our own experiences as union members, including our most recent experiences in standing up and fighting for a contract. If our newest members don’t understand how hard we fought to protect them with this current contract, they won’t be prepared to fight the next time.

We have come a long way in the last year, and we have grown stronger as a union and as a movement. Many people have stepped up and recognized that they must participate. We have new stewards and activists in stores that never had either before.

More and more members are attending meetings and volunteering with the union, and more and more members are recognizing how strong they really are.

When we share our stories about the union, new members will understand what to expect, and we will be confident that future generations in our union will be stronger tomorrow.

Mark and Cathy are great parents. I know that Sofia will touch many people’s lives as she grows, and this world will become better because of her.

I also know our union will become better, stronger and more powerful because of you.

A Moment to Savor, a Time to Give Thanks
By Jim McLaughlin President, UFCW Local 99, and UFCW International Vice President

Now that our supermarket members have voted to ratify a new contract with Fry’s, Safeway and Smith’s, we can take a moment to savor our accomplishment and give thanks where thanks are due.

First comes the savor part.

The contract that our members ratified protects our members’ rights on the job. It includes wages that will enable them to provide for themselves and their families. They will not have to pay premiums for their health care. Their pension, including the Rule of 85, is protected. On top of all that, they will get a nice ratification bonus in the form of a merchandise card that can be used at either Fry’s, Safeway or Smith’s.

That would be an acceptable package in good economic times. Considering that we are enduring the worst recession since the 1930s, on top of persistently climbing costs for health care, our new supermarket contract is an impressive accomplishment!

Back in September, the companies offered proposals that included new health care premiums for all employees, inadequate employer contributions that would endanger the security of the pension fund and wages that fell far short of the needs and expectations of our members.

The final agreement includes significant changes by the employers on all fronts. As a result, we were proud to endorse its ratification by the members. The members agreed with our assessment.

Now, whom shall we thank?

Let’s thank UFCW Local 99’s Supermarket Negotiations Advisory Committee, composed of people who

work in the stores. From the beginning of our negotiations more than a year ago, these dedicated members let us know what they wanted to see in a new contract. They advised us on where to compromise and where to draw the line. They also added a communication link to all members.

Let’s also thank our friends and allies in the community and in other labor unions for letting us know we weren’t alone. On the night of our strike-preparation meeting in Phoenix on Nov. 11, we were especially glad to see the big-rig trucks driven onto the parking lot by representatives of the Food & Drug Council, Teamsters Locals 63 and 630, and Teamsters Joint Council 42.

Inside the meeting at the Airport Marriott, we were proud to have the presence of UFCW Region 8 Director Shaun Barclay, Secretary-Treasurer Andy Marshall of Teamsters Local 104 in Phoenix, President Jacques Loveall of UFCW 8-Golden State in California, and Paul Kenny, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 630 and president of the Food & Drug Council. These fine unionists were accompanied by about 25 other labor leaders from Arizona and neighboring states.

Let’s not forget to thank the tens of thousands of UFCW members in Southern California who survived the brutal, 144-day supermarket strike and lockout in 2003-2004. These brave souls won the admiration of customers who refused to cross the picket lines. As a result, the companies lost an estimated $2 billion and were forced to rethink their strategy of trying to break the UFCW.

This helps explain why there hasn’t been a significant supermarket strike since then anywhere in North America. Specifically, it helps explain why the supermarket companies in Arizona were hesitant about forcing a similar strike here.

Finally and most importantly, let’s thank YOU, the members of UFCW Local 99, for displaying the courage, fortitude and solidarity that made our new contract possible. You stepped forward when your fellow members needed you to speak proudly of your union, to vote to reject the employers’ initial proposals, to give your union authority to call a strike and to stay united until the end.

The 15,000 picket signs we assembled, with more on the way, were all the proof the employers needed that we were serious in our intentions. As someone who worked for our union for more than 30 years observed when it was all over, “We have never been this close to a strike without actually going on strike!”

Ultimately, this contract was made possible by you. Thank you!

Where we stand on contract negotiations
By Jim McLaughlin President, UFCW Local 99, and UFCW International Vice President

Future chronicles of Arizona’s Labor Move­ment will reflect on our recent series of strike-authorization votes as an important moment when the members of UFCW Local 99 delivered to the supermarket employers a powerful message of unity, pride and determination.

Many of you were there, in locations around the state, to learn about the state of negotiations with the supermarket employers.

You heard from members of the Retail Food Negotiations Advisory Committee, people like you who work at the stores and care deeply about their coworkers, both union and non-union. And you also heard from me and other leaders and staff members of UFCW Local 99.

We presented the facts of the negotiations — not the selective and occasionally distorted representations that you read in memos from the company management, but an honest depiction of the companies’ intolerable proposals.

While the memos and fliers you see at work reflect the world as seen by the managers of a giant corporation, your union reflects the world as it affects the welfare of its members. We work for you.

Expressions of solidarity

We felt gratified when, at the conclusion of each meeting, you and your fellow union members responded with overwhelming expressions of solidarity. You voted to reject the company proposals and to give your union’s leadership the authority, should it become necessary, to call a strike against Safeway and Fry’s.

If we needed evidence that the employers’ attempts to drive a wedge between you and your union weren’t working, this was it!

Now that the employers are aware of the members’ strong rejection of their recent contract proposals, their wisest course would be to stop trying to propagandize the workers and to work with us on crafting an acceptable agreement.

UFCW Local 99 and the employers have important work to do on a number of important issues that affect thousands of union members. These members are counting on us to resolve those issues quickly at the bargaining table.

From the time our negotiations began more than 12 months ago, our goal has been to reach a fair and equitable agreement that you will be proud to ratify.

Some of the issues that separate us from the employers fall under the “non-economic” category. Safeway’s attempts to gut seniority and scheduling protections from the contract are not helpful in this regard, but the most intense discussions have involved the “economic” issues.

Here, in brief, are the economic issues:

Health care

It has always been the position of UFCW Local 99 that our members should never have to choose between paying for family health care and paying for food or rent.

The recent proposals from the supermarket companies included a requirement that workers pay regular out-of-pocket premiums for their health care. This would be in addition to any deductibles and co-payments that already come from our members’ pockets.

The employers insist that these premiums wouldn’t be too much to pay for health care, but we know differently. While those premiums may not seem like a lot to a multimillion-dollar company, they mean plenty to working people who are already having a tough time making ends meet.

Members who are single parents have told me that if they have to pay these premiums for their families, they will go broke. That is neither fair nor equitable.

Besides, if these premium amounts are so small, why are the companies so keen on pushing them into the contract? The answer is that these premiums would add up to a lot of money over time, and the companies know this.

We are urging the employers to reevaluate their health care offer and remove these premiums from the table.

Wages

Our position is that you have gone long enough without meaningful wage increases. In previous contracts you were willing to make sacrifices to ensure that the employers remained profitable and could compete with non-union outfits like Walmart and Bashas’.

Two employers reaped significant savings from the last contract, in which concessions were given amounting in the tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars. Now it is time for you to get a reasonable share of the profits that your hard work has made possible.

It’s a simple matter, really: People who do an honest day’s work should be able to earn a decent wage. The employers seem to be satisfied in offering employees minimum-wage rates. We are not. You deserve more than that.

Pensions

Pensions represent the third jewel in the crown of a successful union contract. Just as you deserve good, affordable health care, and just as you deserve decent and fair wages, you deserve a strong pension that is adequately funded so you can retire with dignity after a long career of service.

In the current contract negotiating process, the employers have launched an attack on the third jewel of the crown. A positive outcome will require adequate funding of the pension fund and protection of the “Golden 85” rule, which lets workers retire at an age when they can enjoy their well-earned retirements.

Once again, it’s about fairness and dignity. When you give the best years of your life to an employer, you deserve to be treated well in return. nnn

This is just a broad portrait of some of the big issues in these enormously detailed and complicated negotiations. But one more thing needs to be said:

It might be understandable if a company asks for concessions because it is on the ropes. But the supermarkets are not on the ropes. They are hugely profitable corporations.

They already have their profits. They just want more profits, achieved on the backs of their workers.

There’s a word for that attitude. It’s called “greed.”

Neither the employers nor your union wish to initiate a labor dispute at this time. Both sides are interested in continuing negotiations. But to achieve our legitimate goals, we will need to keep all of our options open.

Your union stands strong and proud with you. Thank you for standing strong and proud with your union.

Scholarship winners inspire hope for the future
By Jim McLaughlin President, UFCW Local 99, and UFCW International Vice President

When I originally wrote this column, my lovely wife was very pregnant with our third child. (Born July 16, mom and baby are doing fine.)

With two beautiful children already speeding around my house like caffeinated terriers, I definitely have some experience with being an expectant father. But the nervousness and introspection of those last couple months before the child arrives never really go away, no matter how many children you have.

I have a theory that most expectant fathers briefly become philosophers, pondering the world into which their children will be born. With the madness going on in the world today, some would think that this would be a somewhat depressing process, but I beg to differ.

For the last 13 years, UFCW Local 99 has provided scholarships to members and their dependents. Aside from being a great benefit of belonging to our union, the scholarships provide a glimpse of how each generation might handle the world when it is passed to them.

Local 99’s award winners represent the best of our future teachers, engineers, politicians, scientists and, yes, union activists.

Each year’s crop of candidates include a few standouts who command our attention and inspire our imaginations. Choosing among them for the highest honors is always a challenge.

This year, however, our scholarship committee had its most difficult job ever, because every one of our applicants was extraordinary.

We weren’t simply impressed by their scholastic achievements and skills. We were floored by the positive, constructive manner in which these individuals approached their world. They are focused on giving back to their communities.

During the interview process, the winners expressed their thankfulness for the opportunities they had been given in life and wished to provide similar opportunities so that others could succeed in the future.

They described how they want to help find cures for horrible diseases and repair the damage we’ve done to the environment.

One applicant even spoke about helping others by giving them joy through her talent for making desserts and baked goods – not helping herself make money, but helping others be happy!

Thinking about our scholarship winners gives me a peculiar feeling in an era of difficulty and despair. That feeling is called “hope.” It gives me confidence that my children will belong to a generation of Americans who are up to the challenges that will confront them. With people like these running the show, the world of the future might be a place that cares less about corporate greed and clawing one’s way to the top on the backs of others. It might be a place where helping others is considered normal and not exceptional. That would be a world I’d be happy to leave to my kids.