Fall 2020 MSainttaian socyial safe! distancing and wear a mask around people President’s report: Your VOTE is important! Union • Nov. 26 & 27 Contents offices • Dec. 24 & 25 President’s Report Member Feature closed • Jan. 1 Your vote is important Jodie Hernandez aids neighbors 3 11 affected by COVID-19 Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Arbitration News visitors to the union office will be $25,000 awarded to members Providers Corner required to wear face coverings. 5 16 A tribute to Dr. Kascius NOTE: December Quarterly Member feature Membership Meeting tentatively 7 Justin Ath donates kidney to his dad Union Reps Column scheduled for Dec. 16. Survival with Social Media Date and format to be Legislative Corner 19 determined by COVID-19 UFCW and senators urge guidelines set forth by the 8 to extend hazard pay ON THE COVER: CDC and State of California. Members from Stater Bros. 200, Rancho Cucamonga Meetings start at 7 p.m. Social distancing will be maintained. New Member meetings are CORRECT postponed until further notice. MAP ADDRESS Here to help AND MeMBeRsHIP AssIstAnce PRogRAM DESERT EDGE PHONE NUMBER Joe Duffle If you have problems with alcohol, drugs, editor A MUST!! children & adolescents, family, emotional issues, gambling, marriage and/or financial/legal issues, official quarterly publication of Local 1167, United You lose out if there is no correct ad - Food and commercial Workers International Union dress and telephone number on file for eligible active or retired members can call the toll-free serving san Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial you. We know the problem: People move MAP number at the Health Management center any time, counties, california. frequently. But it only takes a phone call, day or night, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Headquarters: a minute with your Union Rep or a visit All calls are confidential. 855 W. san Bernardino Ave. to our website, ufcw1167.org , where Bloomington, cA 92316 you can complete an address change Food Division call (800) 461-9179 Mailing address: form. It could avoid a big problem with P.o. Box 1167 a hospital, medical claim or pension in - Drug Division Bloomington, cA 92316 quiry. call (866) 268-2510 Union offices are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. closed saturdays, sundays and holidays Notice to all members: Your dues are now payable! Business telephone: If you are one of the few members of the local who are not Yet signed up for dues checkoff: YoUR DUes ARe noW DUe (909) 877-5000 AnD PAYABLe. IF YoUR DUes ARe not PAID on oR BeFoRe tHe FIRst oF eVeRY MontH, YoU WILL AUtoMAtIcALLY sUs - Toll-free telephone: PenD YoURseLF. (800) 698-UFcW With dues checkoff, all future dues can be deducted automatically from your pay check. If you do not have an authorization Food and Meat Division insurance: form, call the local and one will be sent to you immediately. (909) 877-1110 nonpayment or payment of the incorrect amount will automatically suspend you — a costly and inconvenient mistake. Although Drug & General Sales Division insurance: not required, the local, as a courtesy, normally sends billing notices by first-class mail to those not on dues checkoff. It is the (909) 877-2331 member’s obligation to pay dues in a timely manner. not receiving a notice is not an excuse for failure to pay dues on time. Telephone hours: Avoid suspension. Authorize dues checkoff today! 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Published by Wfor imaptocrtahnt yinfoorumarti omn fraomi lyoburo hexa!lth benefits trust Fund. Got questions? Contact the Trust Fund (ext. 424): www.ufcw1167.org (714) 220-2297 • (562) 408-2715 • (877) 284-2320 • www.scufcwfunds.com 2 DESERT EDGE President’s Report Joe Duffle Your VOTE is important, especially in these times ew things are certain in this elec - On the federal level, we can point to fail - tion year, but we do know that your ures in preparing for a potential public vote will play a significant role in health crisis and marshalling the re - determining the future course of sources necessary to confront it when it California and the country at large. arrived. FCalifornia remains the most populous Even now, our response remains ham - state by far, with 40 million residents. pered by a widespread distrust of science This gives our state a whopping 55 votes and the trained experts on whom we in the Electoral College, which deter - must rely for accurate information and mines who will win the upcoming elec - advice. This distrust is actively encour - tion for president. aged by some individuals in public of - In addition, the Golden State has 53 fice. representatives in the United States It is more important than ever for all House of Representatives — again the of us to accept our responsibility to elect largest number of any state — and every leaders who are actively committed to one of those seats are up for election this reason and respect for all who are coping year. with COVID-19, regardless of who they Those congressional seats will have a are or where they live. significant impact on national policy on JOE DUFFLE To achieve this, we must all learn to every conceivable issue, from labor President discern between facts and emotionally- rights to workplace safety, from environ - charged rhetoric and misinformation. mental protections to support for public And we must vote for those who are education and more. aligned with the aspirations and interests The power of your vote also extends check your voter of working Americans. to the state, county and local levels, Not a single citizen, let alone a union where decisions made by our represen - registration status and member, can afford to leave these tatives have direct effects on our every - register to vote at choices for others to make. This is not a day lives. time to be passive or indecisive. UFcWVotes.org Please be sure that you are registered Leadership against COVID-19 to vote. And while polling places will be In these times, there is no issue that open on Election Day, Nov. 3, you can affects our lives more directly than the avoid long lines and their potential health COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed risks by requesting an absentee (mail-in) more than 180,000 Americans so far and ballot. For information visit: sickened hundreds of thousands more. It sos.ca.gov/elections/voter-registration or has caused additional economic hardship UFCWVotes.org for millions of others. Don’t let apathy or lack of informa - There’s plenty of blame to spread tion deprive you of your right to partici - around for our country’s inability to take pate in this historic election. Too much control of this pandemic from the outset. is at stake. Fall 2020 3 ... Marilyn Loera worked for Vons for 31 years ... Linda Hedberg worked for stater Bros. for 34 years ... Rutls Arriaga worked What’s Happening for Alpha Beta and Ralphs for 33 years ... Roberto Aguirre worked for Vons for 33 years ... Denise King worked for stater Bros Just Born Just Retired for 35 years ... Kathleen Alfaro worked for Lucky and stater Bros. for 34 years ... Lisa Kitchens worked for stater Bros. for 35 years Gerardo Contreras, Rite Aid, had a baby boy, Lawrence Labrador , worked for Albertsons, ... Frank Valenzuela worked for stater Bros. Francisco Joel contreras. for 40 years ... Roxie Coulson , worked for for 36 years ... Desiree McGowan worked smiths, Lucky and Albertsons for 30 years ... for Alpha Beta, smiths and stater Bros. for 34 Albertsons 40 years Rodrigo gutierrez Vons 41 years ... Ruben Cordero worked for stater years ... Tommy Lamb worked for Alpha Beta Bros. for 35 years ... Martha Armbruster Just Married and Ralphs for 20 years ... Susan Boyce worked for Vons for 39 years ... Margaret worked for stater Bros. for 24 years ... Jackie Neal worked for Lucky and stater Bros. for 39 Blackwell worked for stater Bros. for 23 Medardo Monforte , stater Bros., married years ... Elizabeth Cramp worked for safe - Kristine Vanneman on June 22 in santa Ana. years ... Danita Coyle worked for Rite Aid for way and Ralphs for 41 years ... Elias Jackson “When you find your soulmate you never let 25 years ... Esmeralda C. Turnbull worked worked for Alpha Beta, Lucky and Albertsons go!!!” for Albertsons for 29 years ... Jeff Swenson for 42 years ... Roxanne Hodges worked for worked for Albertsons, Max Foods, Ralphs and stater Bros. for 42 years ... Deborah Pe - stater Bros. for 30 years ... Ross Bangle tersen worked for stater Bros. for 40 years worked for stater Bros. for 32 years ... Pamela ... Samuel Meador worked for safeway, Vons, St. Amarn worked for Lucky and Albertsons Mccoys and Alpha Beta for 48 years ... Terry for 31 years ... Terry Connor worked for Dunn worked for Albertsons, Alpha Beta and Lucky and Albertsons for 32 years.... Dani stater Bros. for 48 years ... Wayne Waddell Waggoner worked for Albertsons for 35 years worked for stater Bros. for 49 years. Dorothy Evans , a retired meat been a continuous member since De - Michelle Jeffers , a food clerk em - wrapper formerly employed by smith cember 2019. ployed by Albertsons, died on May 16, Bros. Markets and Alpha Beta, died 2020, at the age of 50. she had been In Memoriam Carlos Gomez , a retired general on April 4, 2020, at the age of 92. a member since January 1997. she had been a member since August merchandise clerk formerly employed Verna Lindsey , a retired food clerk Madeline Arnone , a retired food 1958. by Lucky stores and Albertsons, died clerk formerly employed by Market on May 13, 2020, at the age of 68.