December 2013 President’s Report: Negotiations on the horizon Also... • Raising awareness of Alzheimer’s disease • Scholarship winners: Leaders of tomorrow Contents Union offices Dec. 24-25 for President’s Report Scholarships Available Christmas 3 Prepare for Negotiations 2014 12 Trust Fund, UFCW, Union Plus will be Jan. 1 for What’s Happening Bill Sauriol Scholarship closed: New Year’s 4 Retirements, marriages, births 13 Grace Whang S-T’s Report 5 Beware of reloadable gift card scam Scholarship Awards President’s Day is Feb. 17. 14 Local 1167 and Trust Fund Union offices will be open. Commentary 7 Obamacare needs fixing Member Benefits Next Quarterly 18 Relapse prevention is key Negotiations Update Membership Solidarity at El Super Meeting: 8 Desert Edge Tradition 21 “Merry Christmas, My Friend” Wednesday, Dec. 18 Union Rep Reports Alan Kontra, Carmen Paz Industry News The meeting will start at 7 p.m. 9 Fresh & Easy, Walmart UFCW Local 1167 Auditorium Member update 23 855 W. San Bernardino Ave. Walking against Alzheimer’s Bloomington, CA 92316 10 www.ufcw1167.com Steward Profile ON THE COVER: 11 Donna Clarkson Members from Ralphs 686, Temecula DESERT EDGE Bill Lathrop Editor Official quarterly publication of Local 1167, United Food and Watch your mailbox! New Commercial Workers International Union Member Serving San Bernardino, Riverside and ...for important information from your Imperial Counties, California. health benefits Trust Fund. Meetings Headquarters: 855 W. San Bernardino Ave. Open Enrollment, Scholarship Opportunities, Are you a new member Bloomington, CA 92316 Tuition Assistance and more! of UFCW Local 1167? Mailing address: Got questions? Contact the Trust Fund (ext. 420): P.O. Box 1167 Has one of your Bloomington, CA 92316 (714) 220-2297 • (562) 408-2715 • (877) 284-2320 co-workers recently Union offices are open www.scufcwfunds.com joined our union? Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. Closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays Notice to all members: Your dues are now payable! Get up to a $65 credit Business telephone: toward your initiation fee (909) 877-5000 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 AND PAYABLE. IF YOUR DUES ARE NOT when you attend a Toll-free telephone: PAID ON OR BEFORE THE FIRST OF THE MONTH, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY SUS - New Member (800) 698-UFCW PEND YOURSELF. December dues are due Feb. 1, 2014, January dues are due Training Meeting Food and Meat Division insurance: March 1 and February dues are due April 1. within 6 months (909) 877-1110 With dues checkoff, all future dues can be deducted automatically from your pay check. Drug & General Sales Division insurance: If you do not have an authorization form, call the local and one will be sent to you im - of your hire date. (909) 877-2331 mediately. Call (909) 877-5000 if Telephone hours: Nonpayment or payment of the incorrect amount will automatically suspend you — 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. a costly and inconvenient mistake. Although not required, the local, as a courtesy, you have any questions. normally sends billing notices by first-class mail to those not on dues checkoff. It is Published by the member’s obligation to pay dues in a timely manner. Not receiving a notice is not Please share this with an excuse for failure to pay dues on time. your co-workers! 100% union shop Avoid suspension. Authorize dues checkoff today! 2 DESERT EDGE President’s Report BILL LATHROP Prepare for Negotiations 2014 t seems like it was only yesterday when we concluded ified to provide the most current and factual information our last round of negotiations with the major supermar - about our negotiations with your employer. ket companies in Southern California. As the process continues, you’ll probably hear rumors I Those talks lasted almost a year and involved a great coming from strangers, co-workers and management. Your deal of effort by our negotiating team and by our member - responsibilities as a union member include disregarding all ship. In the process, the members voted twice to reject pro - kinds of false information coming from unreliable sources. posals from management and to grant their union leaders authority to declare a strike. In one memorable day, thousands of UFCW members and ‘... It will be vitally important to allies in the community rallied stand strong with your union... in front of the corporate of - fices of Albertsons, Ralphs help ensure the best outcome for and Vons. these negotiations.’ It all ended on Sept. 24, 2011, when we were able to Remember that your union is the only institution that rep - announce that the members resents your interests and your interests alone. had voted to ratify an agree - Most importantly, it will be vitally important to stand ment that protected their af - strong with your union. Your solidarity as a member of fordable health care. UFCW Local 1167 will help ensure the best outcome for Now, we are starting the these negotiations. n process over again as we pre - pare for negotiating the next contract in 2014. Soon, the employers and President Lathrop the seven UFCW unions in honored at NAACP event BILL LATHROP Southern California will begin President working through a pile of FCW Local 1167 President Bill Lathrop thorny issues, chief among them concerning the future of our was honored by the Riverside chapter of the NAACP at the civil rights organiza - health plan in the age of the Affordable Care Act. tion’s Labor Awards Dinner on Oct. 4. As I explain in an article on page 7, the federal legislation U President Lathrop was among 14 union leaders who commonly known as Obamacare introduces serious compli - were honored for their activism on behalf of economic cations to our system of union-negotiated health benefits. and social justice in the Inland Empire. No one knows yet how it all will get resolved, but your union “It’s a great thing that the NAACP is renewing its is absolutely committed to negotiating the best possible historic alliance with the Labor Movement in our re - package from the employers. gion,” President Lathrop said in his acceptance re - Other issues on the table will include wages, pensions, marks. work rules, weekend and night premiums, holidays, vaca - “As the founders of your organization — especially tions, grievance rights and more. W.E.B. Du Bois — understood, labor rights are civil rights, and in this spirit the NAACP and America’s To help us determine our priorities, we are reviewing the labor unions worked side by side throughout the his - questionnaires many of you have sent us. Your answers will tory of both movements.” provide us with important insights into what you want to The awards dinner was conceived by Woodie gain from your next contract. Rucker-Hughers, president of the NAACP’s Riverside If you have any questions about the process, please don’t Branch. The group plans to make it an annual event. hesitate to ask your Union Representative. He or she is qual - December 2013 3 What’s Happening IN MEMORIAM MAUREEN McCABE Erminia Arce, a retired drug clerk formerly employed JUST RETIRED David Bookil, Jr. worked in the indus - by Thrifty Drug Stores, died on Aug. 4 at the age of 87. The past several months have brought try for 44 years with Alpha Beta and She had been a continuous member since July 1964. us several new retirees. In August, Ralphs. Dionicio Cantu worked for 29 Mark Chambers, a retired meat cutter formerly em - Charles Jakobetz , Elena Olivas , and years with Ralphs and Vons. John ployed by Vons, died on Sept. 16 at the age of 59. He David Rubalcaba joined the ranks of the Caton worked with Vons for 35 years. had been a continuous member since March 2005. retirees. Charles Jakobetz worked in Rich Gardner worked in the industry Auguste Cornell, a retired general clerk formerly em - the industry for 37 years with Albert - for 37 years with Albertsons, Lucky ployed by Gemco, died on Sept. 10 at the age of 82. She sons, Lucky, Market Basket and and Stater Bros. Kelly Nehmens had been a continuous member since October 1969. Smith’s. Elena Olivas worked for worked for 34 years with Albertsons James Elmore, a retired general clerk formerly em - seven years with Food 4 Less. David and Lucky. Martha Sanchez worked ployed by Fed Mart and White Front, died on Aug. 30 at Rubalcaba worked for Foods Co. and for 27 years with Albertsons and the age of 88. He had been a continuous member since Fed Mart for a year each and then Alpha Beta. Nery Serbantes worked December 1963. worked for Albertsons for 33 years. for 36 years with Albertsons, Food Dorothy Garza, an affiliated member formerly employed Land, Gelsons, Shopper’s Market and by Stater Bros. Markets, died on Oct. 7 at the age of 55. In September, , Katherine Estep Kevin Smiths. Carolyn Tosha worked for 40 She had been a continuous member since May 2009. Koch , Pedro Madrigal , Teresa Meier , years with Albertsons and Lucky. Chad Hendrix, a drug clerk formerly employed by Rite Marivel Montgomery , Fawn Steffen , Joining the ranks of the retirees in Aid, died on Sept. 9 at the age of 29. He had been a mem - Andrew Tacub , Gene Ullrich , Janis Whit - ber since May 2013. ford and Sue Wilson-Wolcott retired. December were Rita Cox and Kaye Stromquist . Rita Cox worked for 32 Justin Jaime, a general merchandise clerk employed by Katherine Estep worked in the indus - Vons, died on Sept. 1 at the age of 22.