WWW.UFCW.ORGMarch 27, 2012 Volume 14, Issue 1

Workers at ten medical cannabis dispensaries in Los Angeles area have chosen UFCW Local 770 for a union voice on the job, joining the ranks of pharmacists, pharmacy techs, and health care providers who are already represented by the local. Hundreds of medical cannabis workers have already joined UFCW Locals 5, 7 and 8.

Workers said that joining a union was a positive step towards successfully integrating compassionate care into the health care system, and that collective bargaining and better training is a way to guarantee that jobs in this emerging sector would be good, stable jobs with livable wages and less turnover.

The Los Angeles City Council is currently weighing a ban that would forbid businesses to sell marijuana but still allow pa-tients who are seriously ill and their caregivers to cultivate it.

At a news conference Thursday, UFCW Local 770 President Rick Icaza, called the workers’ choice to join a union “the next step in professionalizing and stabilizing this new sector of the health care industry,” and vowed to work with workers, patients, lawmakers, and allies to keep the dispensaries open and keep people at work.

Local 770 is working with Americans for Safe Access and the Greater Los Angeles Collective Alliance to ensure that dispen-saries with union workers adhere closely to the law, including obtaining correct permits, paying taxes (including payroll taxes) and maintaining fi nancial transparency. OP

Medical Cannabis Workers Join Local 770 for a Voice on the Job

Michigan UFCW Members Particpate in Annual Lobby Day for Workers’ Rights

More than 100 mem-bers of UFCW Locals 876 and 951 traveled to the Michigan State Capitol on Thursday to talk to their legislators about the importance of collective bargaining.

There have been more than 80 bills introduced this session to stop workers from being able to sit down with their employer to talk about wages, safety and other issues.

In meetings with their legislators, UFCW members stressed the importance of the petition drive for a collective bargaining ballot initiative. The ballot initiative will amend the state constitution to guarantee workers’ rights to bargain collectively for fair wages and a better life. The ballot initiative will need over 322,000 valid voter signatures by July in order to be placed on the Novem-ber ballot. Members also watched legislative sessions, and wrote letters to the editor of their local newspapers.

“This is my fi rst Lobby Day. I came because I wanted to stand up for what I believe in,” said Katmeice Harlkess, Kroger, Clinton Twp. “My senator came out of session and told us she is with us. I am really glad that I decided to participate, because it really opened my eyes to what is going on.”

“This is my third Lobby Day action,” said Diane Muccino, Kroger, Northville. “I participated because I want these politi-cians to know if I approve or disapprove of the bills they are passing here in Lansing.” OP

UFCW Members in Michigan met with their legislators to talk about workers’ rights.

Local 770 President Rick Icaza joined Medical Cannabis work-ers at a news conference last Thursday to announce the workers’ choice to join the local union.

WWW.UFCW.ORGMarch 27, 2012 Volume 14, Issue 1

New York Target Workers Fight Company Retailiation, Push to Keep Valley Stream Store Open

Target workers at a Valley Stream, Long Island store are once again standing strong to protect their jobs by challenging the closing of their store. Workers there allege the store closing is designed to put an end to the workers’ campaign to come together to improve their jobs with a union voice. On March 16, UFCW Local 1500 fi led a request for a federal injunction to prevent the store from closing.

Last year, workers at the store began organizing their co-workers

for a voice on the job when the company was not giving work-ers the fair wages and solid schedules they needed to support themselves and their families. Workers say their vote to union-ize failed, due in large part to intimidation tactics employed by the company. Target is currently under investigation by the National Labor Relations Board for illegally interrogating and threatening Valley Stream employees.

Last week, management informed employees at the Valley Stream location that the store will close for six months for renovations. Employees feel the move is in retaliation for their attempts to unionize. The Valley Stream location is one of 1,100 other stores currently undergoing renovations, but the majority of those locations are slated to remain open through-out. Workers say the timing of the renovations is meant to en-sure the store is closed when the judge’s decision comes down, making a potential second election more diffi cult. “Eligible employees” have been invited to transfer to other Target branches or take an unpaid leave of absence until renovations have been completed, the most vocal pro-union employees have not been deemed eligible to return.”

Your members can stand up for workers’ rights and join in pre-venting Target from closing the Valley Stream store by visiting www.facebook.com/targetchange or taking action at http://bit.ly/GUCafb. OP

Develop Your UFCW Activists at the 99% Spring TrainingLast year, we saw a revitalized movement of working people using direct action to highlight the massive inequality that’s crip-pling our country. Now, people from every corner of our move-ment—inspired by the everyday heroes of Madison, Wisc., and Occupy Wall Street—are planning a major campaign of bold, nonviolent direct actions to make the voices of the 99% impos-sible to ignore.

UFCW members were key players in every aspect of the move-ment last year. The 99% Spring is our chance to maintain and broaden that change-making energy. During the week of April 9-15, in small towns and big cities all across America, 100,000 people will come together for direct action trainings. Local organizations and volunteers are running more than 750 trainings in living rooms, union halls, churches, and community centers nationwide.

This is an opportunity to identify and develop member activists in your local union and give them the training and tools they need to become dynamic, rank-and-fi le leaders of your local political, bargaining, and organizing campaigns.

Visit http://bit.ly/GUsz7y to sign up for a 99% Spring training in your area. OP

Your union is about morethan your paycheck and benefits.

UFCW SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

That's why each year the UFCW awards several SCHOLARSHIPS of up to $8,000 each to UFCW members or theirunmarried dependents.

The application will be available online from January 16 - April 16, 2012.

For more information, and to findout if you're eligible, please visit:

www.ufcw.org/scholarship