Spring 2016 ‘Our voice is our power’ Stewards convene for educational conference President’s Report: Changing our world for the better Rosie’s Corner • Local 1167’s new organizers • Scholarships Union March 25, good Friday Contents March 31, Cesar Chavez Day offices May 30, Memorial Day President’s Report Organizing closed: 3 Changing our world — for the better 11 Quest workers join UFCW What’s Happening Union Rep Report 4 Retirements, marriages, births 12 Union means family Next Quarterly In Memoriam Rosie’s Corner Membership Meetings: 5 Tony Perez 13 Dedicated to union women Wednesday, March 23, 2016 Steward Profile UFCW Local 1167 Scholarship 6 Rosio Thomas Rules Wednesday, June 22, 2016 14 New Staff Organizers UFCW Local 1167 Scholarship Meeting starts at 7 p.m. 7 Kenny Parada, Ana Cabral 15 Application new Member meetings Steward Conference ON THE COVER: held at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. 8 Education and inspiration Stewards at the recent Conference UFCW Local 1167 Auditorium 855 W. San bernardino Ave. bloomington, CA 92316 MAP New MeMbeR MeeTIngS DESERT EDGE Here to help Rick bruer editor MeMberSHIP ASSISTAnCe ProgrAM Are you a new member of UFCW Local 1167? Has one of your official quarterly publication of If you have Health Management Center co-workers recently joined our union? Local 1167, United Food and problems with : any time, day or night, Commercial Workers International Union 24 hours a day, Serving San bernardino, riverside and Alcohol, drugs, children seven days a week. get up to a $65 credit toward your initiation Imperial Counties, California. & adolescents, family, emotional issues, All calls are confidential. fee when you attend a new Member Training Headquarters: gambling, marriage Meeting within six months of your hire date. 855 W. San bernardino Ave. Food Division bloomington, CA 92316 and/or financial/legal. call (800) 461-9179 Call (909) 877-5000 for dates, Mailing address: eligible active or retired P.o. box 1167 members can call the toll- Drug Division locations and answers to any questions. bloomington, CA 92316 free MAP number at the call (866) 268-2510 Union offices are open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. The 2016 UFCW International UFCW Charity Foundation Scholarship Program is available now until April 16, Closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays 2016. This year, the foundation will award several scholarships of up to $8,000 each to UFCW members or business telephone: their unmarried dependents under the age of 20. The scholarship application is available online at: (909) 877-5000 www.ufcwcharityfoundation.org/scholarship. Toll-free telephone: (800) 698-UFCW Food and Meat Division insurance: Notice to all members: Your dues are now payable! (909) 877-1110 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 Drug & General Sales Division insurance: AnD PAYAbLe. IF YoUr DUeS Are noT PAID on or beFore THe FIrST oF eVerY MonTH, YoU WILL AUToMATICALLY SUS - (909) 877-2331 PenD YoUrSeLF. Telephone hours: 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. With dues checkoff, all future dues can be deducted automatically from your pay check. If you do not have an authorization form, call the local and one will be sent to you immediately. Published by nonpayment or payment of the incorrect amount will automatically suspend you — a costly and inconvenient mistake. Although not required, the local, as a courtesy, normally sends billing notices by first-class mail to those not on dues checkoff. It is the 100% union shop 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. www.ufcw1167.org Avoid suspension. Authorize dues checkoff today! 2 DESERT EDGE President’s Report RICK BRUER Changing our world — for the better he only constant in our world joined the great American middle class. stick together to get what you deserve is change. And through our Now that middle class is in danger, in the contract. As we have done for our thoughts and actions we the victim of bad tax policy that favored Retail Drug members, we aim to do T have the power to adapt to the rich and a misguided political phi - more than protect the existing standards the changes that come into our lives and losophy that has turned many people for wages, health care and working con - shape them to our will. against unionism. As a result, the rich ditions. We want improvements to the Let’s not be afraid of change, but have become very rich, the poor have current contract. seize it, embrace it and become it. become very poor and the great middle Here are some things you can do to As the author Gail Sheehy said: “If class has been stuck in a rut. make positive changes for our member - we don't change, we don’t grow. If we ship and others who work for a living: don't grow, we aren't really living.” • Support your UFCw negotiating team The fear of the unknown can be a in the Master Food negotiations. If you tremendous obstacle, but we have to work in a supermarket, let your man - take down that barrier. ager and co-workers know you support The history of the Labor Movement your union. Don’t pay attention to ru - is written by millions of brave men and mors and certainly don’t spread them. If women who took change into their you want factual information, ask your hearts and made the world a better Union Representative. You can also place. read the Desert Edge , visit our website Back in 1888, the average retail em - (ufcw1167.org) or check in with us via ployee earned $10 per week for 86 Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Don’t hours of work. That’s not a typo! Work - forget to look at your union bulletin ers had no holidays, no sick pay, no pen - board at your workplace! sions and no insurance. • Make sure we can reach you. UFCW Circumstances began to change Local 1167 may need to contact you via when the Retail Clerks National Protec - voice message or text to alert you of im - tive Union received its charter from the portant developments. If your informa - American Federation of Labor. That tion has changed, let us know union eventually became the Retail immediately by calling (800) 698- Clerks International Union before UFCW or (909) 877-5000 and asking merging with the Amalgamated Meat RICK BRUER for Membership Services. Cutters Union in 1979 to form the President • Attend membership meetings. We United Food and Commercial Workers. have regular meetings in Bloomington Our union’s achievements Now it’s time for our generation to and in outlying areas, including special Over the decades, the workers organ - step forward and bend change to our ad - meetings for new members. See page 2 ized and negotiated with their employ - vantage. It’s time for us to grow again, for details. ers by sticking together. They improved to organize again, to build a union that’s • Volunteer for Union organizing and their own lot and joined other unions in stronger than ever before. market-share protection. We need to demanding legislation to benefit all In sports terms, it’s time to stop play - grow stronger by organizing more working people: child labor laws, ing defense and carry the ball to the end workplaces and encouraging the public worker safety laws, the 40-hour work zone. to “shop union.” Talk to your Union week, the right to join a union. Soon, UFCW Local 1167 will join Representative about opportunities in And the world changed for the better. six other local unions in Southern Cali - these fields. In the wake of the Great Depression and fornia in bargaining with the major su - • Do your part to elect union-friendly the Second World War, retail workers permarket companies and we all need to Please see page 7 Spring 2016 3 What’s Happening IN MeMORIAM Robert Dyckman , a retired meat cutter formerly em - res Rios worked for Stater Bros. in Fontana for ployed by Stater bros. , died on Sept. 13, 2015, at the Just Married 28 years. william Shewell Jr. worked for Stater age of 94. He had been a continuous member since July 1953. Teresa Aguilar , CVS Pharmacy, married Jose Bros. for 38 years. beverly Snyder worked for Raya on October 30, 2015 in Riverside. Stater Bros. for 34 years. Penny Ilizaliturri Olen Dansby , a retired drug clerk formerly employed Congratulations to our newlyweds! worked for Stater Bros. for 25 years. Phyllis by Thrifty Drug, died on Dec. 31, 2015, at the age of Spencer worked for Albertsons for 32 years. 88. He had been a continuous member since october Lourdes Preciado worked for FedMart, 1964. Just Retired Lucky’s and Albertsons for 29 years. Pennee Allen emmerich , an affiliated member employed by Moore worked for Albertsons for 27 years. Lilly Albertsons, died on Jan. 17, 2016, at the age of 63. worked for Sav-on Drug for 11 The months of January, February and March De La Vega He had been a member since March 2004. years and then for Albertsons for 19 years. brought us several new retirees. Shari baker betty Jones , a retired food clerk formerly employed Debbie enriquez worked for Alpha Beta and worked for Alpha Beta and Ralphs for 32 by Thriftymart, AbC, Hughes & Lucky, died on nov. 19, Ralphs for 38 years. Teresa Canavan worked years. Ramon baquedano worked for Food 4 2015, at the age of 72.