Summer 2011 MEMBERS at WORK Clockwise from top: Wayne Gentry at E. Frank Hopkins; Maureen Koplitz at ShopRite; Al Stanish at E. Frank Hopkins, Dennis Bird at Acme; David Coston at ShopRite; New Jersey Assemblyman Nelson Albano at ShopRite. Also inside: Announcing the T.E.A.M. Fund • Walmart on the hot seat A&P bankruptcy meeting Page 2 UNITY Summer 2011 United Food and Commercial Workers received not later than July 15, 2011 Union Local 152 Notice of at 4:30 p.m. Petitions received after Nomination and Election of Officers that date and time shall not be valid. Buy American! James Mulholland has been select - Pursuant to Article XII of the Visit ed to serve as General Election Bylaws of United Food and Chairperson to supervise the conduct www.americansworking.com Commercial Workers Union Local of the election including the nomina - 152 and Article 35 of the United Food tion process. Petition forms may be for information on finding and Commercial Workers obtained directly from the General International Union Constitution, there Election Chairperson. If you have any American-made products. shall be an election of officers of Support U.S. workers questions regarding election proce - UFCW Local 152 which shall be held dures or rules, please contact James and help save jobs. on Aug. 4, 2011. The election shall be Mulholland, General Election held for the offices of President, Chairperson, UFCW Local 152, One Secretary-Treasurer, Recorder and White Horse Centre, PO Box 637, twenty (20) Vice Presidents. The Hammonton, NJ 08037-0637, tele - terms of office shall be for three years phone number (888) 564-6152. beginning Jan. 1, 2012. The election of officers shall be Pursuant to Article XII Section E of conducted on Aug. 4, 2011. No less the UFCW Local 152 Bylaws, nomi - than 15 days prior to the election date nations for the above offices are to be each member will receive additional UFCW Local 152 Unity conducted by petition which require Official Publication of information concerning the election signatures of two percent of the aver - United Food and Commercial including times, locations and proce - age monthly active membership of Workers Local 152 dures for voting. Local 152. The number of active No person shall be eligible for Editor member signatures required on each Brian String nomination or election to any office petition for nomination is 289. unless such person is: Union H EAdqUArtErS Each nomination petition shall indi - 1) An active member in the Local One White Horse Centre cate the member who is being nomi - Union, who has been an active mem - P.O. Box 637 nated and the specific office for which ber in the Local Union, or who had Hammonton, NJ 08037 he or she is being nominated. If a been a member of another organiza - (888) Join-152 member is being nominated for a Vice tion merged with the Local Union, for SAtELLitE o FFiCE : President position, the petition shall a continuous aggregate of at least 12 specify the numerically designated 65 N. DuPont Hwy. months immediately preceding the Vice President position for which he Dover, DE 19901 month in which the deadline for the or she is being nominated. Any peti - (302) 736-1034 receipt of nomination petitions occurs, tion may nominate more than one or; Vol. 7, Issue 3 member for office, provided that each UFCW Local 152 Unity member is being nominated for a dif - 2) An active member in the Local (ISSN: 1542-720X) is published ferent office and that the office for Union who has been an active mem - quarterly by UFCW Local 152, which each member is being nominat - ber in the International Union continu - One White Horse Centre ously for at least 24 months immedi - P.O. Box 637 ed is specifically indicated. Each peti - Hammonton, NJ 08037 tion shall also contain the signature, ately proceeding the month in which Periodicals Postage paid at printed name and home address of the deadline for the receipt of nomina - Trenton, NJ each member signing the petition. tion petitions occurs. POSTMASTER: Send address Nomination Petitions shall be filed Any member satisfying the eligibil - changes to UFCW Local 152 Unity at the offices of UFCW Local 152, ity requirements above must maintain One White Horse Centre One White Horse Centre, PO Box P.O. Box 637 continuous active membership in the Hammonton, NJ 08037 637, Hammonton, NJ 08037-0637 by Local Union to remain eligible to run mail or in person. The original signa - for or hold elective office. Published by: tures are required to be filed and Correct address and phone number transmission by facsimile, computer a must: People move frequently, but it or other form of electronic transmis - only takes a phone call, a minute with sion shall not be valid. To be valid all a Union Representative or a call to the nomination petitions with required Union Office to correct your address active member signatures must be and telephone number. Summer 2011 UNITY Page 3 news & notes The Making Change at Walmart Federal mediator called to organization holds Walmart’s assist grocery labor talks corporate managers responsible to hourly employees and the public in Southern California for their company’s practices. Union grocery store workers in Southern California voted over - whelmingly in April to grant their leaders authority to call a strike if they decide one becomes necessary. Seven UFCW unions in Southern California hope the vote will put pres - index.cfm) joined coalitions in urban working Americans. sure on the region's largest chains communities across the nation to urge “To add insult to injury, this plan during contract negotiations. elected leaders to make sure would lower tax rates on the rich and More than 90 percent of the voting Walmart’s desire to open or expand corporations and actually increase our members supported the strike authori - stores is rejected or met with enforce - national debt over the next ten years,” zation, a union official said. ment of strong standards for healthy, the statement reads. A strike authorization vote does not growing communities. “At a time when millions of mean there will be a walkout, but it “In 2010, Walmart’s CEO made Americans are still looking for work, underscores the tension between the more than $18.7 million,” said Jose home prices are falling, oil and food unions and the Albertsons, Ralphs and Lopes, a Stop & Shop employee and prices are rising and wages have stag - Vons supermarket chains. The parties UFCW member from Dorchester, nated, the Republican budget plan have been trying to work out a new Mass. “That’s more than 1200 times would lead to fewer jobs and jeopard - contract for almost three months. what the average Walmart sales asso - ize our country’s ability to recover The previous contract, which cov - ciate makes. from the biggest economic downturn ered some 62,000 workers, expired in “As a retail employee, I know that since the Great Depression. early March. The workers are covered we need to be creating jobs in Boston “These cuts would also cause by an extension of the old contract's that raise standards for our city and unnecessary suffering and further terms, but either side can cancel the our industry. Walmart isn’t going to weaken Americans’ confidence in extension by giving 72 hours notice. do that unless we set binding condi - their government at a time when Soon after the strike authorization tions demanding it.” many believe they will never achieve vote, both sides agreed to work with a “We can’t accept the promises the American dream of owning a mediator from the Federal Mediation Walmart is making to D.C. at face home, sending their children to col - and Conciliation Service to help move value,” said Mackenzie Baris, director lege or retiring comfortably.” the talks toward a successful conclu - of D.C. Jobs with Justice. “The histo - The UFCW pledged to continue to sion. ry this company brings won’t let us. fight any action by lawmakers that In the meantime, the unions, which “That’s why we must have a protects the wealthy few at the represent some 62,000 grocery work - signed, enforceable community bene - expense of the poor and middle class. ers in Southern California, and repre - fits agreement,” Baris continued. “It The union urged President Obama sentatives from the supermarket chains ensures that the pledges Walmart is and the Democratic Party to continue have agreed to a media blackout. making about wages, treatment of to fight for a budget that rebuilds the employees and being a good neighbor UFCW international applauds U.S. economy, creates good jobs, are kept.” revives America’s middle class and Senate rejection of budget plan In most cities, residents spoke protects the most vulnerable citizens. The UFCW International Union directly to elected leaders about released a statement commending the Making Change at Walmart Walmart’s documented history of con - troversial and sometimes illegal U.S. Senate for rejecting Rep. Paul joins community coalitions Ryan’s budget plan last month, calling employment practices, poverty-level the plan “reckless” and pointing out In April, the Making Change at wages and ranking highest for the that it shows how disconnected Walmart activist organization number of employees qualifying for Republicans in Congress are from hard (www.ufcw.org/makingchange/ state public assistance. Page 4 UNITY Summer 2011 industry Watch Walmart on the hot seat ■ In this column, analyst denied any intentional wrong - Jeff Metzger looks at develop - doing, despite the fact that ments in the food and drug the retailer was reportedly industry around the country.