On April 14th, the California Labor Federation voted to endorse Jerry Brown for Governor. For more than 40 years, Brown has remained steadfastly committed to improving the lives of California’s working families.

Workers' Rights

• Established the right to collectively bargain for teachers, school employees and other state workers (SB 160, 1975)
• Established the right to collectively bargain for firefighters, police and other local government workers (AB 1693, 1981)
• Gave farmworkers the right to join unions and bargain collectively (SB 1, 1975) » Strengthened the state’s equal pay law (SB 1051, 1976)

WILLIAMSON, NY - Over 300 full time manufacturing workers at the Mott’s plant in Williamson, New York went out on strike because of painful wage cuts while the company enjoyed a record year of $555 million in profits.  The work stoppage was caused as a direct result of the Mott’s executives (a subsidiary of Dr. Pepper Snapple Group) unfair labor practices as they tried to peel away good jobs and wages, including not bargaining in good faith.  The company had publicly declared an impasse and plans to implement their last contract terms, which offered nothing but a reduction in hourly wages and drastic healthcare and pension concessions for the skilled, dedicated workforce at the Williamson manufacturing.

Our grocery contract expires in about a year. We’ve come a long way since the lockout and strike in 2003, winning back in our current contract much of what we lost in 2003-2004.

We won in 2007 because we prepared early and stood together. It worked—we gained fair wage increases, eliminated the unfair two-tier wage and secured our health and pension funds.

But this next contract brings with it fresh challenges. A weak economy that is creating a crisis in our health and pension funds, declining profits and market share for union markets, and renewed efforts by non-union markets to drag down wages.

This means we need to work even harder and prepare earlier for the fight ahead. And have no doubt, it will be a fight. Management will use the economy as a bludgeon to lower our wages and benefits. We can’t let them get away with that.

We’ve already begun the research and preparation necessary to develop a successful plan for the 2011 contract campaign. Over the next few months you’ll be hearing more from us about how you can help get our message out to consumers and the community. Every UFCW member is a critical messenger to the public—and will make the difference come next March.