September/October 2005

Standing in the empty parking lot of an abandoned Wal
Mart in Hastings, MN. Biking duo connects with small
town, USA, one Wal-Mart at a time. (Page 6)
A Symbol of the Wal-Martization of America.
President’s Report
Don Seaquist
United but Separate?
Our International Union has left the
AFL-CIO. In our last newsletter I wrote
on the impending decision to leave and
whether or not we truly are a dissident
Union. Today, we no longer are part of
this national organization. We have left the national body of labor unions
and joined with a group that appears to be focused on changing the
most recent labor downslide. Along with the Teamsters and the Service
Employees International Union (SEIU), we have announced our disaffiliation.
With our national leaders taking this unprecedented action, there are
local and state implications. As of August 10, 2005 we still are affiliated
with the Minnesota State AFL-CIO and the St. Paul Central Labor
Council, or CLC for short. These affiliations are currently under review
by us and them. So many questions remain unanswered at this time.
Will we do the State Fair? Work the Harriet Island Labor Day Picnic?
So far, the answer is yes to both of these events. It is our desire to continue these long and productive relationships. But we can’t control the
decisions these organizations may have to make.
The national AFL-CIO may force these local and state offices to no
longer allow us to belong and have delegates. This would disappoint us
greatly, as we have built a hard fought reputation in both organizations
as a Union that just doesn’t talk, but takes action. Our members currently serve as delegates and officers in these organizations and work hard
to get the message out that working union is better.
If we can no longer participate in these bodies, we will look at building
new relationships with the other unions that have left the AFL-CIO. We
have already scheduled a meeting with these new partners. I have invited the officers of every UFCW local Union in Minnesota to attend.
In spite of all the rhetoric coming out of the Chicago convention, the
labor movement won’t be saved by any national organization. It has
always been my belief that the working men and women are the labor
movement. Not an international union president, or even a local union
president can change the face of our struggle. I can’t get hung up on
titles and positions, when it is the average worker that is the Union. Without workers believing that belonging to a Union is better for them at their
workplace, then whatever happens in Washington DC doesn’t matter.
We care what happens in D.C. and we feel that belonging to a larger
organization adds strength and numbers. We deal with employers that
are national in scale and we also should have national power and numbers. If our national leaders
can’t come to an agreement
on a new look to the AFLCIO and truly form their own
coalition, I will continue to
inform you on how this will
impact your local union.
¿Unidos pero separados?
Nuestra Unión Internacional ha dejado al AFL-CIO. En nuestro último
boletín escribí sobre la decisión pendiente para separarnos y de si o no
somos una Unión disidente. Hoy, nosotros ya no formamos parte de
esta organización nacional. Hemos dejado el cuerpo nacional de sindicatos y nos unimos con un grupo que se ve es más enfocado a cambiar el reciente deslizamiento laboral. Junto con los Teamsters y la
Unión de Empleados del Servicio (SEIU) Internacional, y nosotros
hemos anunciado nuestra desafiliación.
Con esta acción que tomaron nuestros líderes nacionales, hay implicaciones locales y del estado. Al 10 de agosto de 2005 nosotros estamos afiliados todavía con el AFL-CIO de MN y el S. Paul el Concilio
Central Laboral, o CLC por las siglas en ingles. Estas afiliaciones están
actualmente bajo revisión por nosotros y por ellos. Hay muchas preguntas sin respuesta en este momento. ¿Participaremos en la feria estatal?
¿Trabajaremos el picnic de Isla de Harriet el día laboral? Hasta ahora, la
respuesta es sí a ambos de estos acontecimientos. Es nuestro deseo
de continuar estas relaciones largas y productivas. Pero nosotros no
podemos controlar las decisiones que estas organizaciones tendrán
que hacer.
El AFL-CIO nacional puede forzar a las oficinas locales y estatales a
que nos permita participar ni tener delegados. Esto nos desilusionaría
mucho, por que hemos construido una reputación de lucha en ambos
como una Unión que no nada mas habla, pero toma medidas. Nuestros
miembros sirven actualmente como delegados y oficiales en estas
organizaciones y trabajan duramente en transmitir el mensaje de que
trabajando con unión es mejor.
Si no podemos tomar parte en estas organizaciones, nosotros
buscáramos formar relaciones nuevas con las otras uniones que han
dejado al AFL-CIO. Nosotros ya hemos planificado una reunión con
estas uniones. He invitado a los oficiales de cada Unión local UFCW en
MN a asistir.
A pesar de toda la retórica que salio de la convención de Chicago, el
movimiento laboral no será salvado por ninguna organización nacional.
Siempre ha sido mi creencia que los trabajadores hombres y mujeres
son el movimiento laboral. No un presidente de unión internacional, ni
un presidente de unión local puede cambiar la cara de nuestra lucha.
Yo no puedo enfocarme en títulos y posiciones, cuando es el trabajador
regular quien es la Unión. Si los trabajadores no creen que es mejor
para ellos pertenecer a una Unión en su lugar de trabajo, entonces
cualquier cosa que suceda en Washington DC no importa.
Nos importa lo que sucede en DC y nosotros sentimos que
pertenecer a una organización más grande agrega fuerza en números.
Tratamos con empleadores que son nacionales en escala y debemos
tener también el poder y los números a nivel nacional. Si nuestros
líderes nacionales no pueden concordarse en un nuevo aspecto del
AFL-CIO y formar sinceramente su propia coalición, yo continuaré informándoles en cómo esto impactará a su unión local.
President Don Seaquist, on behalf of the Local, offers his support to the NWA mechanics union. “Local
789 is committed to supporting workers, regardless of their affiliations, regardless of the logos they wear
on their shirts. When the workers have exercised their legal rights and collectively made the decision to
withhold their labor from their employer; our Union stands with the workers in their struggle. If the
mechanics or flight attendants of North West Airlines go on strike, UFCW Local 789 will honor that picket
line.” President Seaquist asks the members of UFCW Local 789 to refrain from flying on NWA, should
any of its employees’ unions go on strike.
Workers’ Solidarity
UFCW Local 789 Members Supporting Fellow Workers Though Words and Actions
ENGAÑO DE SEGURIDAD
AMENAZA VIDAS DE
TRABAJADORES
Oficiales de Inmigración se Hacen Pasar
por Oficiales de Seguridad del Trabajo Para
Entrampar a Trabajadores Inmigrantes
WASHINGTON, DC. — El segmento de la
fuerza laboral en los Estados Unidos con más
probabilidades de sufrir lastimaduras o muerte
en el trabajo es victima de una operación de
engaño por parte de la agencia de
Cumplimiento de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE
por sus siglas en ingles). Oficiales de ICE se
hicieron pasar por instructores de seguridad
para reunir trabajadores de construcción documentados e indocumentados en Carolina del
Norte usando un volante que anunciaba una
reunión obligatoria de la Administración de
Seguridad y Salud Ocupacional (OSHA) a
principios de este mes, luego arrestaron a 48
trabajadores indocumentados que acudieron a
la reunión.
“OSHA es responsable por la seguridad y
salud de los trabajadores,” dijo Joe Hansen,
Presidente Internacional de la UFCW. “El que
ICE haya llevado acabo una reunión falsa de
OSHA para juntar y arrestar gente socava la
misión de OSHA y es un retroceso en los
esfuerzos federales y estatales de reducir lastimaduras y muerte de trabajadores. Después
de un engaño como este, el reporte que llega
a los lugares de trabajo es que no se puede
confiar en OSHA. Ese tipo de percepción
reduce la habilidad de OSHA para hacer trabajo critico de proteger a la fuerza laboral de
los Estados Unidos.”
Hay más de 10 millones de trabajadores
nacidos en el exterior en la fuerza laboral de
los Estados Unidos, lo cual es aproximadamente 15% de la fuerza laboral. Los trabajadores inmigrantes tienen las tasas mas latas
de lastimaduras y fatalidades en el trabajo. Los
trabajadores Hispanos sufren 69% de todas
las lastimaduras y muertes en el trabajo. En la
industria empacadora de carne, mas de la
mitad de los trabajadores son nacidos en el
extranjero, y en algunas plantas, hasta el 80%
de los trabajadores son inmigrantes.
“Esta acción inescrupulosa ha diezmado la
confianza entre OSHA y los trabajadores que
más dependen de la agencia,” dijo Hansen.
“Más y más a menudo, son inmigrantes
quienes trabajan las industrias mas peligrosas
tales como la construcción o empacadoras de
carne. ¿Como puede ahora acceder OSHA a
estos trabajadores en riesgo con información
sobre seguridad? Para estos trabajadores,
OSHA ya no significa seguridad, sino traición.
La administración Bush debe denunciar este
tipo de trampas que socavan la seguridad en
el trabajo.”
SAFETY SCAM THREATENS
WORKERS' LIVE
Immigration Officers Pose as Workplace
Safety Officials to Entrap Immigrant Workers
Washington, D.C. -- The segment of the
American workforce most likely to suffer injury
or death on the job was targeted in a scam
operation by the federal Immigration and
Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. ICE officers masqueraded as safety instructors to
round up documented and undocumented
construction workers in North Carolina with a
flier announcing a mandatory Occupational
Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
meeting, earlier this month, then arrested 48
undocumented workers who attended the
meeting.
“OSHA is responsible for worker safety and
health,” said UFCW International President
Joe Hansen. “For ICE to stage a sham OSHA
meeting in order to round up and arrest people
undermines OSHA’s mission, and is a step
backwards for state and federal efforts to
reduce worker injuries and deaths. The word
being brought back to worksites, after a scam
like this, is that OSHA can’t be trusted. That
kind of perception diminishes OSHA’s ability to
do the critical work of protecting America’s
labor force.”
There are more than 10 million foreign-born
workers in the US, making up about 15% of
the workforce. Immigrant workers have the
highest rates of on-the-job injuries and fatalities. Hispanic workers suffer 69% of all on-thejob injuries/deaths. In the meatpacking industry,
more than half of the workers are foreign-born,
and in some plants, up to 80% of the workers
are immigrants.
“This unscrupulous action has shattered the
trust between OSHA and the workers who
depend on the agency the most,” said
Hansen. “More and more often, it is immigrants
who work in the most dangerous industries
such as construction or meatpacking. How
can OSHA reach these at-risk workers with
safety information now? To these workers,
OSHA no longer means safety, but betrayal.
The Bush administration must denounce the
kind of trickery that undermines safety."
Members Elect Stewards at Long Prairie Packing
Back Row (from left to right):
Richard Ryan, Mark Anderson,
Jorge Cruz Rodriguez.
Front Row:
Shane Bastian (Organizer), Tom
Oswald (Union Representative),
Mario Rodriguez, Daniel Veliz,
Fanciso Rodriguez, Rafael
Espinosa (Union Representative),
(not pictured Dale Moore).
Union members at Long Prairie Prairie relax and enjoy the
annual Union Picnic. Members cast their ballots, electing
their Union Stewards/Negotiating Committee (pictured left).
Secretary/Treasurer’s Report
Jennifer Christensen
“Send Wal-Mart
Back to School”
The “Send Wal-Mart Back-to-school” campaign has three goals:
First, we want Americans to know that Wal-Mart has failed this
nation.
• We believe the people in Minnesota and in every other state that has
a Wal-Mart store deserve to know how Wal-Mart has failed all of us
again and again.
For too long, Wal-Mart has failed our
communities, our families and our children. A nationwide campaign endorsed
by the Teachers’ Unions, the UFCW,
Second, we want to change Wal-Mart.
the AFL-CIO and the people from WakeUpWalMart.com, is asking all of
• Wal-Mart must adopt a clear policy to ensure that they will no longer
us to “SEND WAL-MART BACK TO SCHOOL!” This month-long cambreak child labor laws – not now and not ever.
paign is about “teaching Wal-Mart a lesson” in Corporate Responsibility.
It is about making sure that Wal-Mart reflects the best of not only
Third, we are asking the people of Minnesota to sign the “Send
America’s values but of Minnesota’s values, too. You know the ones I
Wal-Mart Back to School” pledge.
am talking about; paying a living wage, providing Secretary Treasurer Jennifer
• We are asking you not to buy your
affordable health care, stopping taxpayer abuse, Christensen explains why we need
back-to-school supplies at Wal-Mart this
to “Send Wal-Mart Back to School”.
and ending the exploitation of our children.
year.
• Local 789 will be knocking on doors
When the “test scores” come in, the facts are clear; Walin the Midway and West St. Paul areas,
Mart has failed us again and again.
asking people to sign the pledge.
• We will be at the Minnesota State
Wal-Mart has failed the Workers
Fair talking to millions of Minnesotans
• Wal-Mart pays workers too little to keep families out of
and out-of-state visitors, asking them to
poverty; and
pledge not to buy their school supplies
• Fewer than half of Wal-Mart’s workers are covered by
from Wal-Mart; and
the company’s healthcare plan because they are either
• We are asking you are members to
ineligible or the plan is unaffordable.
sign the Pledge.
Wal-Mart has failed the tax payers
• Wal-Mart costs the American taxpayer up to $2.5 billion per year in taxpayer funded public health care and
public assistance programs.
• Wal-Mart’s abuse of the system is jeopardizing vital programs and
services intended for our children and needy families.
Together we can all make a difference.
When the teachers and parents and
students and workers of Minnesota join
together with the millions of teachers
and parents and students workers across the nation, we will have the
power to change Wal-Mart.
Wal-Mart has failed Women
• Wal-Mart is facing the largest gender discrimination lawsuit in history,
effecting more than 1.6 Million female employees.
Let us all be an example for the rest of the country.
Pledge to refuse to buy your back to school supplies at Wal-Mart until
they company changes its ways and earns a
“passing grade” in Corporate Responsibility.
And perhaps worst of all…
Wal-Mart has failed our children.
• An audit in the year 2000 detailed 1,371 violations of child-labor
laws, including minors working too late, working too many
hours in a day or working during school hours. On more
than 60,000 occasions, workers of all ages including children,
missed breaks and on 16,000 they were forced to skip meal
times.
• In February of this year, Wal-Mart agreed to pay a $135,540 to
settle federal charges that it broke child-labor laws.
• Then in June, three more Wal-Mart stores were fined for childlabor law violations.
• Aside from being illegal, Wal-Mart’s behavior sets a dangerous example that affects our nation and influences every other company in
America. Wal-Mart, directly or indirectly, is setting a dangerous and
immoral standard that our children can be used and exploited for profit.
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Please take
the pledge.
There can be no doubt that Wal-Mart has failed to make the grade and
needs to go “Back to School.”
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Sign the enclosed
pledge card
and return
it to the
Union Office.
Workers’ Issues
Issues that Affect Our Members.
Retiree Benefit Services
Offered by Senior Care
Advisors & UFCW Local 789
UFCW Local 789 has enlisted the services of
SENIOR CARE ADVISORS, LLC to assist
our members in planning their post 65 retirement years. A wealth of information was presented at the Union Hall this summer during
a seminar for retirees and future retirees of
Local 789. The services of Senior Care
Advisors are available to retiring members
from all of the industries we represent, including Retail, Grocery, Meat, Longterm Care,
Processing and Manufacturing.
The feedback from the evening was positive. The next day,we received numerous
calls from members unable to attend,
requesting information and asking us to hold
another seminar on Retirement Planning. In
order to give our members more time to ask
questions and visit with the speakers, future
seminars will be on just one or two topics
and meetings will be on more than one
evening; giving you the chance to focus on
just one or all areas of you Retirement
Planning.
Information about future seminars will be
posted at your worksite and published in the
newsletter. If you need information before
the nest series of seminars, contact Senior
Care Advisors directly at 651-291-9112.
What can Senior Care Advisors do for you?
They will help you:
• Establish retirement strategies
• Live out your retirement
• Prepare an end-of-life plan
They offer the following services:
• Legal Services
• Wills
• Trusts
• Financial Planning Services
• Annuities
• Medicare Supplement
• Programs
• Health Insurance
• Delta Dental Insurance
• Prescription Drug Benefits
• Long Term Care Insurance
For assistance in Planning your
Retirement Years (after age 65)
Senior Care Advisors, LLC
PO Box 21546, Eagan MN 55121
651-291-9112
[email protected]
www.scaseniorcare.com
Members and their spouses listen and learn
about Social Security Benefits during one of
the segments on Retirement Planning at a
recent Seminar held at the Union Hall..
Job Security
--Caroline Larsen
What job security? Is there any such
thing anymore? Employers say their
employees don’t care about the kind of job
they are doing and the employees say that
their employers don’t care about them. No
more loyalty.
“I’m not treated with respect.” “I’m the only
one who does any work around here.”
“I’m the only one who gets picked on even
though everyone does it.” “They don’t like
me.” The list could go on and on.
Sometimes, the statements are true. I
don’t want to get “preachy”, but here is my
spin on life.
Everything begins with me. I choose
what I do and don’t do. For the most part I
can choose to come to work everyday and
be on time. I can work hard, be respectful
to everyone I come in contact with and
help out others when the opportunity presents itself. I can choose not to gossip. I
can choose not to worry about what someone else is doing or not doing (on most
occasions). I can react respectfully even if
someone was disrespectful to me. That
doesn’t make me a wimp. I can choose
my battles – that makes me a stronger
person. I know sometimes it is easier said
that done, but no one can intimidate me
unless I choose to allow them to do that.
I don’t want to go on and on. The point
is; the best job security you can have is if
you go to work, do the best job you can
and go home. Everybody likes a good
worker, including your customers.
Long Term Care Report
--Jeanine Owusu
Quality Measure Reporting Period Begins
Today. One of the major long-term care provisions passed by the 2005 Legislature was a
“pay for performance” feature that will have an
effect on the amount the COLA received by
nursing facilities beginning October 1, 2006. It
was designed by Rep. Fran Bradley (RRochester) and DHS staff as a way of adjusting
the COLA in the second year of the biennium by
facility performance on five quality measures:
staff retention; use of pool staff; quality indicators
from the minimum data set; and survey deficiencies. Scores for each of the quality measures
will be based on data gathered from the period
of August 1, 2005, through January 31, 2006.
The following Q & A addresses dome of the
questions being raised about this pay for performance provision.
Q: What impact will the quality measures have
on my COLA next year?
A: Everyone will receive a base COLA on
October 1, 2006, of 1.2553 percent. The quality
measures will provide an additional COLA ranging from 0-2.4 percent depending on each facility’s quality score. Facilities with a quality score
of 100 will receive the maximum add-on 2.4 percent. Facilities with a quality score of 40 or
below will receive no additional COLA beyond
the base. A formula will determine the amount
of add-on between those two points.
Q: How is the quality score calculated?
A: Each of the five quality measures has been
assigned a maximum number of points on a
100 point scale. Quality Indicators – 40 points;
Staff Retention – 25 points; Staff Turnover – 15
points; Pool Hours – 10 points; MDH Survey
findings – 10 points. The points awarded for
each of the measures is totaled to determine the
quality score.
Q: How is the data collected and when is it
due?
A: Facilities will be required to submit a data
collection report by February 28, 2006, covering
the report period of 8/1/05 – 1/31/06. DHS has
not yet developed the report form, but we do
know that facilities will only be required to submit
information on three of the measures: staff
turnover, staff retention and pool use. DHS will
collect the quality indicator and survey deficiency
information internally.
(Information source: MHHA website).
Worker Dignity Tour
Riders shine a light on Wal-Mart's
refusal to provide employees with
affordable health care.
--Bernie Hesse
UFCW Local 789 members, Bob
Adams and Bernie Hesse completed
the first annual “Big Box Worker
Dignity Tour” last month. Bob Adams, a
member from Rainbow Foods thought
up the idea of biking to communities
with Wal Marts and engaging residents, consumers, and local media in a
discussion about corporate responsibility.
The bike tour went to Faribault,
Owatonna, Rochester, Red Wing, and
was wrapped up at an abandoned WalMart in Hastings, MN. The primary
issue that was brought on the tour
was: healthcare; and a disclosure bill
that was derailed in the waning minutes of the Legislative Special Session.
The “disclosure” bill would have mandated a report from the Health and
Human Service Department. on which
large employers have workers on MN
Care and other state run healthcare
programs. In ten out of twelve states,
Wal Mart has led the list as having the
most workers on State and Federal
programs. The bill’s primary focus was
on corporate responsibility.
We kicked off the Tour from our Hall
in South St. Paul and we fought
extreme headwinds and heat on
Sunday. Bill Moore, MN AFL-CIO and
Don Seaquist accompanied us for the
entire day, and proved to us how tough
our leadership can be. We arrived in
Faribault in the early evening.
The next day found us at the
Faribault Wal Mart, we leafleted, did
the Wal Mart Watch from the parking
lot (Air America 950 AM), and met with
the Editor of the Faribault Daily News.
We headed off to Owatonna and
enjoyed a pleasant ride through a
number of small communities. Upon
arriving at Owatonna we met with
organizers from Centro Campensino
and explained our ride to
them. We exchanged information on a number of campaigns and promised to check
in later this summer of both
groups’ activities. We then
pedaled down to the
Owatonna People’s Press and
met with the Editor, Jeffrey
Jackson and explained our
“Tour”. Owatonna is the site of
a Super Center and has one
abandoned Wal Mart
on the outskirts.
The morning found
us pedaling towards
Rochester, MN with the support of Diane Winter, a long
time member and activist.
After some creative map
reading and some directional
issues we ventured into the
town of the Mayo Brothers,
and were greeted by the staff
of Local 21 HERE/UNITE. A
big thank you goes out to
Brother David Blanchard and
his staff for their hospitality. Russell
Hess, President of the Central Labor
Council in Rochester coordinated the
leaflet at the North end Wal Mart and
helped me get kicked out of my 14th
Wal Mart. We were able to do an interview with the Rochester Post-Bulletin
and talk to many consumers. The
response was positive and we think
our message got out.
For every hill you go down, there is
one to pedal up, and the next we
headed on to Red Wing, MN. It was a
pleasant ride for most of the day,
though the heat was oppressive at
times. I managed to blow a rear tire on
the final approach and with out
the help of Brother Bob Adams,
I would be living in Red Wing,
MN as of today. Bob Adams
proved to be a man of steel
with his 35 pound pack and the
ability to have every gizmo
available for repair or relief of a
mechanical issue. We made it
into town and met up with the
the Leaders of Local 527
UFCW and handed off information and gave them a briefing
on the national “Wake -Up Wal
Mart” campaign. The Red Wing Wal
Mart has been operating for a few
years and one can observe the shift in
traffic patterns and a preponderance of
antique/collectable stores downtown.
From talking to local business people
there has been a struggle to compete
with the mega-retailer that is at the
edge of town.
On Thursday we finished the last leg
of the “Tour” with a quick ride to an
abandoned Wal Mart in Hastings, MN.
We thought it would be symbolic of
what is going on in small town, USA.
Big boxes thrown up, small businesses
destroyed, and acres of asphalt left
with weeds growing, and no businesses to replace the big, ugly, concrete
shell. The “Tour” was a success with
much information going out, some
money raised for the Universal
Healthcare Coalition, and an appreciation for small towns in Minnesota. We
would like to thank all the support we
received and all the folks we talked to
along the way. Start planning to participated in 2006 for the “Tour.”
Workers’ Power
Building Our Power Through Community Education.
Envíe a Wal-Mart
“de regreso a clases”
Únase a AFT, NEA & UFCW en su campaña para “enviar
de regreso a clases” a Wal-Mart
Déle un vistazo a la boleta de fallas
de Wal-Mart:
Crisis de gastos médicos
de Wal-Mart
LA CRISIS DE GASTOS MÉDICOS DE WALMART ES IMPAGABLE
• Más de 600 mil empleados de Wal-Mart no
están cubiertos por el plan de la empresa.
• Un empleado o empleada de tiempo completo que opte por cobertura familiar tendrá que
gastar en promedio 25% de sus ingresos,
que de por
sí ya están en el nivel de pobreza.
• Los empleados de medio tiempo
tienen que esperar 2 años para recibir
seguro y sus familiares nunca
quedarán cubiertos.
• Wal-Mart gasta 37% o menos en
gastos médicos por empleado en
comparación con un empleador
estadounidense promedio, de
acuerdo
con información proporcionada por el Wall Street Journal.
Trabajo infantil
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Wal-Mart estuvo de acuerdo en
pagar 135,540 dólares para saldar
los cargos que le hicieron por violar la
legislación que se opone al trabajo
infantil. Hace apenas unas semanas tres
tiendas Wal-Mart fueron multadas por violar la legislación contra el trabajo infantil.
Discriminación de género
Wal-Mart enfrenta la mayor demanda en la historia por discriminación de género que afecta a
más de 1.6 millones de empleadas.
Atención médica financiada por
los contribuyentes
Menos de la mitad de los empleados de Wal-Mart están
cubiertos con el plan de salud de la empresa. Wal-Mart
le cuesta a los contribuyentes estadounidenses hasta 2.5
mil millones de dólares anuales en programas de atención médica y de asistencia pública.
Salarios de nivel de pobreza
Wal-Mart paga a sus empleados tan poco que no alcanza para que una familia de cuatro miembros viva por
encima de la línea de pobreza.
Qué puede hacer
1. Firme el compromiso de comprar todo sus útiles
escolares en cualquier otro lugar menos en Wal-Mart, en
www.wakeupwalmart.com o llamando al 1-866-253-1350.
2. Adopte un Wal-Mart & desarrolle una coalición en su
comunidad: Miles de personas en Estados Unidos han
tomado la responsabilidad de cambiar Wal-Mart tienda
por tienda. Adopte el Wal-Mart más cercano a Usted,
puede hacerlo en línea o comunicándose con Despierta
Wal-Mart.
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USTED ES QUIEN PAGA EL
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• No obstante sus 10 mil millones de dólares en ganancias, en
casi todos los estados donde se ha recabado información, WalMart encabeza las empresas con la mayor cantidad de empleados que recurren a atención médica financiada con fondos
públicos.
• En el estado de Arkansas, donde se encuentra la matriz de
Wal-Mart, por ejemplo, casi 4 mil empleados están inscritos en
el programa de atención médica financiado con fondos públicos, lo cual tiene un costo anual de 16 millones de dólares
para los contribuyentes.
WAL-MART ABUSA DE NUESTRO SISTEMA
DE ATENCIÓN MÉDICA
• Wal-Mart cree que la asistencia pública para los pobres, que
es una red de protección, es “mejor” en comparación con la
atención médica que ofrece Wal-Mart. El Director General
Corporativo de Wal-Mart, Lee Scott, señaló que: “En algunos
de nuestros estados, el programa de asistencia pública podría
ser, de hecho, mejor.”
Qué puede hacer
Firme el compromiso de comprar todo sus útiles escolares
en cualquier otro lugar menos en Wal-Mart, en
www.wakeupwalmart.com o llamando al 1-866-253-1350.
2005 Kamposia Days Parade - South St. Paul
The Union Stewards will be receiving their raffle tickets the first
week of September. If you’re a steward, seek out family,
friends and co-workers to sell your raffle tickets. If you are not
a Union Steward, ask your Union Stewards if you can help
them raise money buy selling tickets or ask to buy a raffle ticket
and be part of this fun-filled event.
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3rd prize – iPod Shuffle (need not be present to win)
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Music, Food & Fun 6:00 - 9:00 PM
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and more. Get together and come as a group or come by
yourself and make some new friends.
The cause is very worthy and the
fun is for all ages.
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--Shirley Muelken
I know your first thought is “Oh no, not someone else wanting
a donation!”
This fund raiser will be even more fun than fund raisers of
yester year. First of all, 100% of all money raised goes directly
to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Equally as important, is the fact that we have planned an exciting and fun filled
evening on Friday, October 14, 2005.
We will be asking our Union Stewards to sell raffle tickets for
our Grand Prize and various other prizes for $10.00 each. The
Grand Prize is a Travel Package worth $1,000.00. You can
win $800.00 in travel vouchers, and you need not be present
to win, but if you are present, you will win an additional $200.00
in spending money. Second prize in the $10.00 raffle is a digital camera, and third prize is a portable DVD player.
The Union Stewards will also be selling $5.00 raffle tickets.
First prize on the $5.00 raffle ticket is a digital video camera.
Second prize is an iPod, and third prize in an iPod shuffle.
If you are not a Union Steward but would like to help raise
money, contact your Union Representative for more information on selling tickets, or donating to the silent auction. If you
want to buy a ticket and you don’t have a Union Steward,
contact your Union Representative or stop by the Union
Office to buy one. Tickets will also be available at
the door on the night of the event. So don’t
worry, there will be plenty of opportunities to
get your ticket!!
Silent Auction, Music, Dancing and Food all for
the price of a raffle ticket. ($5 or $10)
________________________
6th Annual Leukemia and
Lymphoma Fund Raiser
And if that isn’t enough to make you tremble with excitement,
we will also have a
________________________
Friday, October 14, 2005 6 - 9 PM – Fun For All
Join us for the
Workers’ Time-Off
Fun Things for Local 789 Members Do.
Stockyards
Festival
2005 BEST BALL “Car-Mac Classic” GOLF TOURNAMENT Co-Champions!
Other Winners
Longest Drive: Chrisy Zeng
Longest Putt:
John Newton & Jim Studeman
Closest to the Pin: Dan Boser
The Meat Cutters
Oakdale Rainbow
Festival Circle Pines
Festival Foods
Jerry’s Cub West St. Paul
Cub Cottage Grove
Lunds
Jo & Jerry
Champions!
West St. Paul Cub (Jerry’s Foods) Captain Dan Bosen
Runner-Up
Festival Circle Pines
Captain Brian Mischler
Consolation
Lunds Ford Parkway
Captain Wayne Mueller
2005 Co-Rec Softball Tournament
THE TEAMS
Rainbow Midway
Oakdale Rainbow #2
Cub Hastings
Woodbury Rainbow
Cottage Grove Rainbow
Cub Midway
Cub Maplewood East
Festival White Bear Lake
Oakdale Rainbow #1
Stockyards
Shoreview Rainbow
Larpenteur Rainbow
Don Seaquist-235
Jennifer Christensen-228
Caroline Larsen-233
Shirley Muelken-230
Howard Kern-229
Tom Oswald-224
Jeanine Owusu-231
Rafael Espinosa-232
ORGANIZING Department.
Bernie Hesse, Director -239
Shane Bastien - 241
Jenny Shegos - 240
September/October 2005 Volume 17, No.5
NONPROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
ST. PAUL, MN
PERMIT NO. 816
Officers:
President: Don Seaquist
Sec/Treasurer:
Jennifer Christensen
Recorder: Caroline Larsen
Vice Presidents:
1st Paul Finkenhoefer
2nd Duane Geske
3rd Marjorie Schwartz
4th Ruth Andre
5th Garry Busse
6th Bernie Hesse
7th Lauri Anderson
8th Ruth Zeman
9th Jeffery Swant
10th Diane Winter
11th Robert Klingner
12th Bill Bauer
14th Loren Murphy
15th Bob Adams
16th Bill Young
Published by: UNITED FOOD
AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS
UNION LOCAL 789 AFL-CIO-CLC,
266 Hardman Ave.
SouthSaint Paul, MN 55075.
Phone 651.451.6240;
Editor, Layout and Design:
Jennifer Christensen
Jennifer Christensen
Your Union Representatives
To leave messages for your
Union Rep. on the weekend:
Dial 651.451.6240 then enter
“2” and their extension:
Shirley Muelken Caroline Larsen
TEAM: 651.642-0182
Howard Kern
Groc/Meat HealthCare
Administrator : 952.854.0795
Tom Oswald
Meat Pension Office
1.800.531.2385
Jeanine Owusu
Grocery Pension Office
1.800.445.8542
Your Union Organizers
Kokaisel Hall, 266 Hardman Ave. N, So. St. Paul
Union Meetings are held on the
1st Tuesday in January, March, May and September.
1st Monday in November (due to the Elections).
UFCW LOCAL 789
266 Hardman Avenue N
South St. Paul, MN 55075
Web : www.ufcw789.org
www.youareworthmore.org
OFFICE STAFF
Hilarie Magnuson-222
Gail Freeman 220
Twill Grove-227
Hall Rentals-651.437.2195
UNION MEETINGS
INSiGHT
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Rafael Espinosa
Don Seaquist
President, UFCW Local 789
Union Office: 651.451.6240
Toll-free: 1.877.UFCW789
Fax: 651.451.8227
Bernie Hesse
The UFCW has struggled for years in getting our message to Wal-Mart workers and
those who shop there. We have tried many different ways to reach out to them. Not only
have we tried, but other unions as well. The Teamsters have made attempts to organize
the warehouse employees and drivers. Over the years these all have failed. We can all
look back with perfect hindsight and point fingers at why they were not successful. Even I
can look back and see that if we had organized Wal-Mart early on in their growth, our
union certainly would look much different then it does today. The phrase I can think of is
woulda, coulda, shoulda. We are all blessed with perfect hindsight and can play the
blame game.
I believe one of the reasons for the recent split with the AFL-CIO is the struggle with WalMart and how does the labor movement deal with this huge anti-union employer. I did say
the labor movement, not just the UFCW. Due to their size, the problem has become one
so large, that it has gone beyond the ability of one union to force change on the country’s
largest private employer.
Now that I have lamented over our failure with Wal-Mart, I also have to let you know I
am excited about the new way our union and others are going forward. A few days ago I
received a phone call at home from the “Wake Up Wal-Mart” campaign. I signed up to
help on their website www.wakeupwalmart.com and really never expected to receive anything other than the occasional email. It was a major surprise to my wife and I when the
phone call came in from a young worker in D.C. I couldn’t wait to tell her how pleased I
was that this campaign was following through with it’s pledge to wake up Wal-Mart.
I encourage our members that have internet access to register on the site. You can then
be a part of a national campaign of pressure on this employer. For those members who
don’t have internet, our Union Representatives all have pledge cards and will provide one
to you. Call them or ask when they are in your workplace.
If we are to continue to succeed as a union and assist the workers at Wal-Mart, then this
campaign is an excellent way to begin worker activism and action. Working men and
women will only make economic and social progress if we take action as a larger community. This is how the middle class made economic gains in the past, and is the only way to
change the course of the current slide down to ruin. In all the workplaces we represent,
employers are looking at how to compete with the non-union one down the street. We
can’t rest on our laurels, we must continue to teach, mobilize and act. Our members have
in the past and will continue to take the lead for other working men and women.
In solidarity,
Shane Bastien
Success or Failure?
Important
Phone Numbers
Jenny Shegos
Final Word