Hardworking people like you are responsible for feeding and caring for your communities every single day. Yet, there’s only a handful of times throughout the year where we celebrate the dignity of working. Today is one of them: International Workers’ Day.

It’s a chance for us all to pause and reflect on why we do what we do, as well as why we pour our blood and sweat into organizing: to make a better life for our families. I wanted to take this moment to show some of the faces of your union brothers and sisters, and recap the core values of this union.

This is why we fight: for each other.

More Hours and Flexible Shifts

Scheduling should provide the hours we need to support our families with one job, the flexibility to enjoy and take care of our families, and accommodate the other priorities of our lives.
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Fair Wages to Sustain my Family

Work should provide wage increases that make ends meet and allow us to provide for and enjoy our families and lives—without having to work multiple jobs. Share the graphic

 

Health Benefit Security

All employees should have benefits that provide security in our health. Why? Because our health is our community’s health. Plus, we fought hard for them.
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Democracy in our workplace graphic

We are partners in the success of our businesses, not tools to be discarded. Our unity gives us a voice and a vote in both our workplace and our union. Share the graphic

 

Retirement security

We work all our lives to enjoy what comes after. Our members should work in peace, without the worry of what life after retirement looks like. We earned it and we’ll fight for it.
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Job Security in Changing times

We understand better than management what consumers want and what works on the floor. By applying that knowledge we can help shape the Grocery jobs of the future.
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Better Neighborhood Grocery Stores

Grocery stores are part of the shared public space, and we commit ourselves to creating and preserving strong, resilient communities.
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I hope you share these points with your co-workers. It’s a small gesture, but builds to a mighty strength. We need every worker in every plant, shop, pharmacy, and dispensary to know where we’re going. When we look each other in the eye, let’s remember one thing: we got this.

And now we go,

John Grant

President, UFCW 770

Lee en español

I want to tell you about the amazing energy we saw last week from members who turned out across Southern California for our UFCW 770 Area Meetings. Before I do, let me share a moment that’s been replaying in my head this past week. It’ll take just a second.

We closed out each meeting by raffling off a gift card to the members who turned out. A member named Raymond won the raffle at our Pasadena meeting but wasn’t able to accept it. Why? He had to leave the meeting early to go work his second job as a delivery driver. The time has come to fight for our union brothers like Raymond. Let’s make sure one job is enough for hardworking people. Share our petition and get everyone you know to join the fight for Grocery workers like Raymond.

Share the petition

As I’ve said before, the true wisdom of this union isn’t in an office building or headquarters. It’s in your stores, dispensaries, plants, and pharmacies, and it’s in the experiences of you and your hardworking union brothers and sisters. 770 toured Southern California to hear directly from members across our union and discuss your wisdom about where we go from here.

If you weren’t able to join us, we focused each meeting on the values we’re fighting for in our next Grocery contract: 

Family-Sustaining Fair Wages

Work should provide wage increases that make ends meet and allow us to provide for and enjoy our families and lives—without having to work multiple jobs.

More, Flexible Hours

Scheduling should provide the hours we need to support our families with one job, the flexibility to enjoy and take care of our families, and accommodate the other priorities of our lives.

Health and Retirement Security

All employees should have benefits that provide security in our health and dignity in our retirement. We fought hard for ours and will fight hard to maintain them.

Job Security in Changing Times

We understand better than management what consumers want and what works on the floor – and by applying that knowledge we can help shape the Grocery jobs of the future.

Democracy in Our Workplace

We are partners in the success of our businesses, not tools to be moved and discarded. Our unity gives us a voice and a vote in both our workplace and our union.

Better Neighborhood Grocery Stores

Grocery stores are part of the shared public space, and we commit ourselves to creating and preserving strong, resilient communities.

As we head into a major fight for a fair Grocery contract, it’s time to take stock and remember who we’re fighting for: each other. That’s why I was proud and encouraged to see so many of our members come out and show our unity through three days of meetings from one end of 770 to the other—from Arroyo Grande to Pasadena to Harbor City. We’re just scratching the surface of showing our true power. To get ahead, though, we need our friends, our family, even our customers to join us in speaking out against corporate greed. One job should be enough, full stop. Share the petition to get your friends and family on board, too.

We got this,

John Grant
President
UFCW 770

Quiero contarte sobre la increíble energía que vimos la semana pasada en nuestros miembros que llegaron de todo el Sur de California a nuestras Reuniones de Área de UFCW 770. Antes de hacerlo, déjame compartirte un momento que se ha estado repitiendo en mi mente la semana pasada. Sólo tomará un segundo.

Nosotros terminamos las juntas rifando una tarjeta de regalo para los miembros que llegaron a la reunión. Un miembro de nombre Raymond ganó la rifa en nuestra reunión de Pasadena pero él no pudo recibirlo. ¿Sabes por qué? Él tuvo que salirse de la junta antes de que terminara para poder irse a trabajar a su segundo trabajo como repartidor.
Ha llegado el momento de luchar por nuestros hermanos de la unión como Raymond. Hay que asegurarnos que un sólo trabajo sea suficiente para las personas trabajadoras. Comparte nuestra petición y haz que las personas que tú conoces se unan a la lucha por los trabajadores de Tiendas de Supermercado como Raymond.

Comparte la Petición

Como dije antes, la verdadera sabiduría de esta Unión no está en un edificio o en una oficina central. La sabiduría se encuentra en tus tiendas, dispensarios, plantas y farmacias, y está en tu experiencia y en la de tus compañeras y compañeros que trabajan arduamente. Nuestro local 770 recorrió el Sur de California para escuchar directamente de los miembros de todo nuestro sindicato y para analizar esa sabiduría para ver hacia dónde vamos ahora.

Si tú no pudiste participar, nosotros enfocamos todas las reuniones en los valores por los que estamos luchando en nuestro próximo contrato de Tiendas de Supermercado:

Salarios Justos que Sostengan a Nuestras Familias

El trabajo debe otorgar aumentos de sueldo que alcance para subsistir y nos permita sostener y disfrutar a nuestras familias y nuestras vidas – sin tener que trabajar en varios empleos.

Más Horas Flexibles

La programación de horarios debe dar las suficientes horas que necesitamos para apoyar a nuestras familias con un sólo trabajo, la flexibilidad para disfrutar y atender a nuestras familias, y planear otras prioridades de nuestras vidas.

Seguro Médico y Seguridad de Retiro

Todos los empleados deben tener beneficios que den seguridad a nuestra salud y dignidad en nuestro retiro. Nosotros luchamos duro por los nuestros y vamos a luchar aún más fuerte para seguirlos teniendo.

Seguridad Laboral en Tiempos de Cambio

Nosotros entendemos mejor que la gerencia lo que los consumidores quieren y qué es lo que funciona en el piso – y al aplicar estos saberes nosotros podemos ayudar a moldear los trabajos de las Tiendas de Supermercado del futuro.

Democracia en Nuestro Lugar de Trabajo

Somos socios en el éxito de nuestros negocios, no piezas que puedan ser movidas y tiradas. Nuestra unidad nos da una voz y un voto tanto en nuestro lugar de trabajo como en nuestra Unión.

Mejores Tiendas de Supermercado en el Vecindario

Las Tiendas de Supermercado son parte de un espacio público compartido y nosotros nos comprometemos a crear y preservar comunidades fuertes y resilentes.

Mientras nos aproximamos a una importante lucha por un contrato justo en las Tiendas de Supermercado, es tiempo de analizar y recordar por quién estamos luchando: por cada uno de nosotros. Por ello, me sentí muy orgulloso y animado de ver llegar a tantos de nuestros miembros y mostrar nuestra unidad en los tres días de reuniones de un lado a otro de nuestro Local 770– de Arroyo Grande a Pasadena, hasta Harbor City.

Apenas estamos comenzando a demostrar nuestro verdadero poder. Para poder avanzar, sin embargo, necesitamos que nuestros amigos, nuestra familia e incluso nuestros clientes, se unan a nosotros para alzar la voz en contra de la avaricia corporativa. Un trabajo debe ser suficiente, punto. Comparte la petición para sumar a tus amigos y a tu familia también.

Nosotros Podemos, 

John Grant
Presidente
UFCW 770

On March 25th, 26th, and 28th, UFCW 770 leadership will host Area Meetings. See below for details and find the meeting closest to you.

Monday, March 25

Harbor City

UFCW 770 Harbor City Office
25949 Belle Porte Ave
Harbor City, CA 90710
9 AM | 6 PM

Arroyo Grande

UFCW 770 Arroyo Grande Office
140 W Branch St.
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
9 AM | 6 PM

Pasadena

Hilton Pasadena
168 S. Los Robles Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91101
9 AM | 6 PM

Tuesday, March 26

Huntington Park

Icaza Workers’ Center
5400 Pacific Blvd
Huntington Park, CA 90255
9 AM | 6 PM

Santa Barbara

UFCW 770 Santa Barbara Office
4213 State St #201
Santa Barbara, CA 93110
6 PM

Santa Clarita

Moose Lodge
18000 Sierra Hwy
Santa Clarita, CA 91351
10 AM | 6 PM

Inglewood

UFCW Local 1442
9075 S. La Cienega Blvd.
Inglewood, CA 90301
6 PM

Thursday, March 28

Los Angeles

UFCW 770 LA Office 3rd Floor
630 Shatto Place
Los Angeles, CA 90005
9 AM | 6 PM

Camarillo

UFCW 770 Camarillo Office
816 Camarillo Springs Rd.
Camarillo, CA 93012
9 AM | 6 PM

San Fernando

IBEW Local 11
400 Chatsworth Dr.
San Fernando, CA 91340
9 AM | 1 PM | 6 PM

 

For news and information specific to 2019 Grocery Contract: 

Visit www.FoodFightUS.com or www.UFCW770.org.

Look to your union representative or steward.

Listen to the complete Telephone Town Hall:

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Last night, thousands of members gathered for a spirited Telephone Town Hall to discuss the state of our union and hardworking UFCW 770 members of groceries, plants, dispensaries, and pharmacies across Southern California.

The big ticket topic on everyone’s mind: the Grocery contract negotiations that kicked off last week (see more at www.foodfightus.com). We also discussed last week’s successful launch of the Fair Work Week L.A. policy campaign and much, much more.

Weren’t able to join us? We missed you. Catch-up with the full meeting in the recording above.

Got an important topic you think we didn’t cover? Leave us a comment on Facebook and we’ll add to a future meeting agenda.

And now we go,

John Grant
President
UFCW 770

—

Escucha la Asamblea Telefónica Completa:

Estimados hermanos y hermanas:

Anoche, miles de miembros se conectaron para participar en una animada Asamblea Telefónica para discutir el estado de nuestra unión y los diligentes miembros de UFCW 770 en los supermercados, plantas procesadoras, dispensarios y farmacias de todo el Sur de California.

El gran tema de entrada en la mente de todos: las negociaciones de contrato de Supermercados que inició la semana pasada (ver más en www.foodfightus.com). También discutimos el exitoso lanzamiento de la campaña para aprobar la Semana Laboral Justa en Los Ángeles (Fair Work Week L.A.) la semana pasada, y mucho más.

¿No pudiste participar? Te extrañamos. Mantente al corriente escuchando la reunión completa con el audio de arriba.

¿Tienes algún tema importante que piensas que no cubrimos? Déjanos un comentario en Facebook y lo agregaremos a la agenda de una próxima reunión.

¡Y ahora vámonos recio!

John Grant

Presidente

UFCW 770

It’s a new year, and a new chance to show the world we’re serious about standing together as a union.

Why not look good while we do it?

Vote for your favorite division t-shirt style. Wear it on* or off the clock and say it loud: We got this.

This is all part of our listening campaign to hear directly from you and your fellow members across the 770.

Vote for Your Favorite Division T-Shirt Style:

Vote

Vote

Vote

Vote

* Note: Please check with your workplace to make sure wearing personal clothing meets workplace guidelines.

Brothers and sisters, 

I’d like to take a moment to pause and reflect on the historic movement that swept through the streets of Los Angeles – and what it means for you and the future of our union.

First and most importantly: this is one of the proudest moments I’ve had in 40 years as a member of UFCW 770. Our members turned up in droves to stand with our teachers, literally, in the pouring rain no less (which is saying a lot in L.A.).

Many people thought this wasn’t our fight. But wherever working people are striving to make a better life, 770 members will be there. That’s a testament to your hard work and unbreakable spirit, and the powerful community you’re creating.

Make no mistake: our union brothers and sisters of UTLA have inspired Angelenos across the city to speak up for working people. But how did they do it? Here are some lessons we can learn:

1. Bargain for the Common Good

It’s a subtle shift, but potentially revolutionary: bargaining for the common good. As Steven Greenhouse from the New York Times pointed out, L.A. teachers didn’t fight just for wages or benefits. They fought for their students and communities. As we look ahead to our Grocery contract, we need to show how our cause can lift up our communities and improve the lives of our customers and the families we help feed every single day.

2. Go Public

The week the strike started, three-fourths of Angelenos were polled supporting our public teachers’ cause. That goes to show that when you stand up for the public good, the public stands up for you. We need to give customers, families, and supporters a reason to believe in our fight, and simple, easy ways to stand with us.

3. Strikes Work

Strikes are a very last resort, and they take organization, mobilization, and cooperation. But they can be a powerful way to rally people to our cause and force management to sign a better deal. We only take this path as a last option, but our teachers proved that with the public on your side, a strike can make change possible.
What are your ideas? How can we move customers to see themselves in our fight for a better deal? You work in your communities every day, so who would know better than you?

Drop us a line or simply reply to this email and share your thoughts. We need the wisdom of every store, plant, pharmacy, and dispensary to win this fight. Let’s get started. We got this.

Email us

And now we go,

John Grant
President
UFCW 770