Sign the Letter: UFCW Rank & File Stands With Our Union Siblings
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UFCW Rank & File Stands With Our Union Siblings
The undersigned rank and file UFCW members from local unions and workplaces across the country are directly addressing the recent intimidating letter attacking rank and file members, sent to our International Union President Perrone.
In April, our union siblings Kyong Barry and Iris Scott filed a lawsuit with the intention of deepening democracy inside our Union. In part, the lawsuit addressed the lack of procedural standards related to the UFCW Constitutional Convention delegate nominations and elections, which has historically resulted in minimal turn-out and participation of rank and file workers in the election of leadership.
Workers, especially those in the grocery retail sector, are overworked, underpaid, and strapped for resources like childcare, transportation, and time off to participate in union activities. Union locals are acutely aware of the position their members are in, and should strive to make critical meetings, such as delegate nominations and elections, as accessible as possible.
Recognizing a widespread lack of such efforts, Kyong and Iris have stuck their necks out so that we might use every tool at our disposal to fight for genuine trade union democracy. As fellow rank-and-filers, we applaud their courage and tenacity.
Kyong’s and Iris’ lawsuit is supported by Essential Workers for Democracy, an organization for rank and file union members who are fed up with contract concessions and cagey, standoffish local union leadership — and who, most importantly, know that they deserve better. We organize because we love our union, and we want it to be as powerful and democratic as possible.
Union officials’ insinuation that Kyong’ and Iris’ working with Essential Workers for Democracy is inappropriate, or that the lawsuit is pursued with bad intentions, is an insult to the legacy of our movement, one of workers fighting for vibrant trade union democracy, sometimes at great personal cost.
As we seek higher internal democracy and accountability in the union, we will always answer the call to stand in solidarity with our fellow workers. Rank-and-filers from locals across the country will fight to protect the plaintiffs from retribution, especially Kyong Barry, who was needlessly singled out in this letter.
We stand with Kyong and Iris to the end. They represent us in their lawsuit, and they are us. We refuse to remain silent while powerful union officials pick on rank and file members of their own union.
While organized labor is on the rise, it still remains at a crossroads; Either we reckon with the fact that our true strength is in the capacity of union members to fight and lead on the shopfloor, or we continue to turn inward, shutting out new blood eager to breathe life into our movement. As such, our organizations need to be well-oiled and ready to fight. It is in the best interest of our union that room is allowed for dissent, and that the rights of our union siblings to organize are respected. Resorting to attacks on members hurts our reputation, widens the gap between the union hall and the shop floor, and worst of all, strips us of our ability to capture this historic wave of labor revival.
It is clear to us that the letter to President Perrone is intended to prevent discussion and debate among the rank and file and foster a culture of fear. The direction of our union should be up to the members. It’s our right to discuss it. Any attempt to stifle discussion or dissent in our union is unacceptable. The strength of a union is its members, full stop.
Since the issue of dues money expenditures was raised in your letter, we want to make ourselves clear: it’s our dues money. We want our dues money to be spent on organizing that makes us all stronger, on increased strike benefits, on building toward a national grocery bargaining table.
But when we look at how our dues money is being spent now, we have questions. What percentage of the total budget of the local unions you serve is being spent on organizing? How much of that organizing is invested in rank and file members mobilized to organize new workers into our union? What percentage of the total budget is spent on bloated salaries for union officials?
The letter we’re responding to was sent by a group of UFCW officers, “United for a Stronger UFCW”, which was formed at an official UFCW-sponsored union officer meeting in Detroit in 2023. Attendees at that meeting had their travel, meals and lodging paid for by our union dues. It is absolutely inappropriate, and a violation of federal law, if you organized politically on internal matters on our union dime. We are carefully monitoring to uphold all our elected officials to the same standards you raised in your letter.
Essential Workers for Democracy (EWD) has been diligent in bringing transparency into our union at our convention in 2023 and every day since then. As rank and file members, we say: bring on transparency. It’s our union. EWD has now published the $250,000 Club survey of the salaries of UFCW officials that sit above $250,000 annually. Members deserve to know if their dues money is going to an over-inflated officer salary instead of organizing new members into our union.
To begin a new tradition of openness and transparency in UFCW, we call on you to formally debate with us, in an open forum, our four pillars in Essential Workers for Democracy:
Greater democracy throughout our union at all levels. The UFCW should join some of the country’s largest unions in holding direct elections of top officers. Our union should be run by and for the members, not by a delegate system where union staff and local officers — some of whom have never even worked in a grocery store before — call the shots.
Robust organizing of new workers into our union. We want the elected leaders of our local unions to be investing in organizing. Despite the mandate to train and mobilize 10,000 SPURs every year to build our union, our leadership has failed to meet this goal.
Working toward the creation of a national grocery bargaining table. Organizing new workers isn’t enough to keep our union strong and to rebuild union power in the grocery industry as a whole. We must also build regional grocery bargaining tables now so that we can begin building toward a national bargaining table in the future. We believe coordinated bargaining makes us stronger.
Strike readiness, so our bargaining demands have meaning and impact. Coordinated bargaining wasn’t the only way Teamsters and UAW members won. They also leveraged credible strike threats against UPS and a historic stand-up strike against the Big Three automakers, respectively, to show the bosses what it looks like when workers hold a picket line.
We welcome discussion, not coercion. We know the difference. Avoiding discussion in favor of bullying tactics only further solidifies in our mind the root causes of what is plaguing our union.
We stand in solidarity with rank and file members Kyong Barry and Iris Scott.
Signed,
Isaac Soto, Shop Steward, UFCW Local 99, Fry’s Food Stores
Heather Clark, UFCW Local 328, Stop & Shop
Vincent Joseph Chairez, UFCW Local 324, CVS
Aaron, UFCW 431, Kraft Heinz
Adam, SEIU
Alex, UFCW Local 135, Albertsons 4065 '2005
Amanda, UFCW Local 7, King Soopers
Annie, UFCW 3000
Andrew, UFCW Local 7, SEIU
Joan, UFCW Local 332
Maybe, UFCW 3000, PCC Community Markets
Bailey, UFCW Local 1059, Kroger
Barbara, UFCW Local 7, Kroger
San Pagán, UFCW Local 1466
Ben, UFCW 3000
Brad, UFCW 99, Safeway
Brent, UFCW 99, Kroger
Bryan, UFCW 3000, Fred Meyer
Tracey, UFCW 876, Kroger
Celia, PNWSU-3000,
Chuck Kvur, UFCW Local 1462
Cindy, UAW Local 276 (Retired), Retired
Carlos, UFCW 99, Albertsons
Glenroy, UFCW 888, Cardinal McCloskey SVS
Cal Sailor, UFCW Local 1467
Daniel, UFCW 99, Kroger Store 88
David, UFCW 3000, Northwest Administrators
David, UFCW 3000
Devyn, Teamsters Local 135, UPS
Desmand Whalen, UFCW Local 1461
Tammy, UFCW 99, Safeway
Eric, Former UFCW Local One Member, UFCW Local One
Mark, UFCW Local 331
Eric, UFCW 8, Albertson's
Gregg, UFCW 3000, MultiCare Health System
Joshua, UFCW Local 27, Giant
George, UFCW Local 99, Safeway
George, UFCW Local 700, Kroger
Kathleen, UFCW 770, Albertsons
Grace, UFCW Local 328
Ian, UFCW 3000, UFCW 3000
Jack, UFCW Local 3000
Jade Dianthus, UFCW Local 1463
Jennifer, UFCW 770, CVS
Jimmie, UFCW 99, UFCW
Jalen, UFCW 99, The Kroger Co. BU
Joe, UFCW 3000,
Juniper, UFCW Local 329
Kai, UFCW 1459, River Valley Coop
Kallie, UFCW Local 3000, Fred Meyer
Charlie, UFCW 3000, UFCW 3000
Kristina, Local 3000
Karl, UFCW 1459, River Valley Co-Op
Kyong, UFCW 3000, Albertsons
Lisa, UFCW #227
Terry, UFCW 3000, Fred Meyer
James, MOMs Workers United, MOMs Organic Market
Mason, UFCW Local 75, Kroger
Matthew, UFCW Local 2, Seaboard Foods
Matt, UFCW 770, Gelsons
Matthew, UE Local 1186, Willy Street Co-op
Maya, UFCW 3000
Miranda, UFCW 99, Safeway 1887
Meg Dion, UFCW Local 1465
Melody, UFCW 99, Fry's 698
Miguel, Local 770, Albertsons
Michael, UFCW 99, Fry's
Michael, UFCW 770, Kroger
Miriam Arlette, Local 99, Fry's
Mona Lisa, UFCW 540, Local 540
Mona Shadi, UFCW Local 1459
Robin, UFCW 75, Kroger
Nico, New Seasons Labor Union, Good Food Holdings
Norma, UFCW Local 555, Safeway 1601
Matt, UFCW 324, Pavilions
Dominick, UFCW 3000, UFCW
Olivia, UFCW Local 1000, Kroger
Paul, UFCW Local 455, Kroger
Phoenix, UFCW 3000, Fred Meyer (plz don’t call I’m hard of hearing)
Pam, UFCW 3000
Peter, UFCW Local 333
Rayne, UFCW 1459, River Valley Coop
Raymond, UFCW 770, Kroger, DBA Ralphs Grocery
Rodney, UFCW 663, Hormel
Raquel, UFCW 99, Safeway
Roberto, UFCW 2013, Restaurant Depot
Ryan, UFCW Local 5, Safeway
Roger, UFCW Local 1105
Ian, UFCW Local 1459, River Valley Coop
Sheronda, UFCW Local 540, UFCW Local 540
Debra, UFCW Local 7, Safeway
Silas, UFCW Local 3000, QFC
Melissa, UFCW 3000, Fred Meyer/Kroger
Sonya, UFCW 540, UFCW Local 540
Stacey, UFCW 99, Safeway
Stephanie Neston, UFCW Local 1460
Susan, UFCW Local 75, Kroger
Thano, UFCW 1996, Kroger
Quil, UFCW Local 3000, PCC
Christopher, UFCW 663, Cub Foods
Valerie, UFCW Local 5, Safeway
Vincent, UFCW Local 324, CVS
Marc J., UFCW Local 1776KS, Giant Eagle
Raymond, UFCW 365, Fort Vancouver Regional Library
Amirah, UFCW 3000
