In 2010, during the worst economy of our lifetime, employers tried to cut our pay and benefits. We stood up and forced them to change their proposals. Now, while paying CEOs millions, employers have dusted off their original 2010 proposals to cut our take home pay and that’s before even discussing wages, pension and health care.
 
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Union Solidarity Night with the Mariners!
Wednesday, July 10, 2013, 7:10 p.m.
Special pricing: $15 View Level (typically $35)

Join the Seattle Mariners for Union Solidarity Night and enjoy a great evening at the ballpark! Come out to Safeco Field on Wednesday,July 10, and watch the Mariners take on the Boston Red Sox.To order tickets please log on to www.mariners.com/Union
Select “Buy Tickets.”
For groups of 20 or more or any questions, please call Ryan Pearman at 206-346-4538 or rpearman@mariners.com

STATEMENT BY UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS INTERNATIONAL UNION PRESIDENT JOSEPH HANSEN REGARDING THE DECISION BY H&M AND OTHER RETAILERS TO IMPROVE WORKPLACE SAFETY IN BANGLADESH

Washington, D.C. – The following is a statement issued by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) President Joseph Hansen regarding the decision of H&M and other retailers to sign a legally binding agreement to improve workplace safety in Bangladesh:

“The UFCW applauds H&M and other retailers for accepting binding building safety standards at Bangladeshi garment factories following the recent fire and building collapse that killed more than 1,000 garment workers in Bangladesh. By signing the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, H&M and other retailers are taking the high road and putting people before profits at their supplier factories. 

“The UFCW also applauds UNI Global Union, IndustriALL Global Union and the Worker Rights Consortium for their work to address the terrible working conditions in Bangladesh.  Thousands of UFCW members work in the retail industry, including at H&M, and the UFCW will continue to honor the workers who died or were injured in Bangladesh by supporting workers here and abroad who are struggling to protect their basic rights, and by calling on other retailers that have a strong presence in Bangladesh—such as Walmart—to do the right thing and sign this agreement.”

Plan to come to the Local 367 picnic on July 19 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Manitou Park at 4330 South 66th Street, Tacoma. RSVP Tina at 253-589-0367 by July 1, 2013. See below for details.

Raffles with proceeds going to the Local 367 Member Hardship and Scholarship Funds.

Directions to Manitou Park

From I-5 take EXIT 127

(WA-512 South Tacoma Way/Puyallup

Turn right onto South Tacoma Way

Turn left onto South 66th Street - Pass through roundabout

End at 4330 South 66th Street - Park is behind

Kalpona Akter and Sumi Abedin were in Seattle and Olympia to talk about the Bangladesh garment factory fires that took the lives of 112 workers on November 24. 2012.  To read their story and view pictures of the rallies held to send a message to Walmart, click below.

Below is an article about an event at which Kalpona Akter and Sumi Abedin spoke of the 2012 Bangladesh garment factory fire. Local 367 and Pierce County OUR Walmart were in attendance. Pictured below are Kalpona and Sumi at the State Capitol in Olympia.  Also included are pictures of a rally held at the Renton Walmart demanding better conditions for Bangladesh garment workers. Local 367 and Pierce County OUR Walmart attended.

April 23, 2013  by Kate Clark, UW Daily                                    

One hundred twelve people were killed on Nov. 24, 2012 in a fire inside Tazreen Fashions, one of Bangladesh’s garment factories that produces items for Walmart, Disney, and Sears. Sumi Abedin, a survivor of the fire, jumped from the factory’s third story, breaking both her arm and foot in the process.

“We heard a scream and we got panicky. We wanted to leave, but the managers wouldn’t let us. They prevented us; they locked the doors,” Abedin said. “We went back to the machines, and after five minutes I started to smell the smoke. I asked for help and tried to leave but found the doors were padlocked. I saw the other stairs were blocked by the fire and suddenly I saw my co-workers breaking the windows. One of them jumped, then I jumped.”

As part of her first trip to the United States, Abedin made a stop at the UW last night to recount the disaster. She was joined by former garment worker and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Center for Worker Solidarity Kalpona Akter and OUR Walmart representative John Smith.                                                                                

The panel was sponsored by the UW chapter of United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS), the Washington Fair Trade Coalition, the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies, OUR Walmart, and UFCW Local 21.

Abedin began work as a seamstress in Tazreen, Bangladesh, when her mother fell ill, and it became necessary that she support her family. As a garment worker in Bangladesh, she made $55 a month.

“I’m here to ask for my compensation that is owed to me by the western retailers and also to demand for a safe workplace,” Abedin said.

Abedin was given $1,200 after the fire, 75 percent of which she spent on medical treatment, with the rest going toward living expenses. According to Akter, the retailers still owe the Tazreen workers $5.7 million in compensation.

There are 4 million garment workers in Bangladesh in 5,000 factories across the country. In the last six years, there have been 600 factory worker deaths. In the case of the Tazreen fire, the emergency exits were locked and the stairways full of frightened workers.

“The workers really work in a death trap,” Atker said. “[The managers] lock the doors because they are scared [the workers] will steal the garments. When workers raise their voice they are beaten. I’ve experienced this. I worked in the factory. I started when I was 12 years old.”

Abedin is currently out of work for the rest of the year on orders from her doctor, and she is unsure whether or not she will return to factory work. Akter was fired from the factory when she attempted to form a union.

“I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but I’m afraid [to go back],” Abedin said. “I’m afraid there will be another fire. I’m very afraid.”

Through a 12-stop nationwide speaking tour, including Tuesday’s stop at the UW, Akter and Abedin seek to not only receive compensation from western retailers but also to encourage students to take a stand.

“If we can find a kind of link between students here and students in Bangladesh, and if those students can raise their voice,” Atker said, “and if you guys put pressure on the companies here, that will also make a huge change.”

USAS, which recently led a successful campaign for the UW to cut ties with Adidas because of the company’s alleged human rights violations, protested in front of the University Village Gap yesterday alongside Akter and Abedin.

Akter recommends students campaign physically by protesting in front of western retailers, such as Gap, H&M, and Walmart, that utilize Bangladeshi garment factories, and by writing letters to the large companies.

“Walmart can’t just wash their hands and say it isn’t them,” Akter said. “We will not let them do that.”

USAS Co-Chair Grace Flott said the panel is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet someone who has been directly affected by the wrongdoings of the large western companies.

“I think it’s important to understand the whole issue that factory fires and health and safety hazards are essentially the product of pressure from large companies, like Walmart, who forces prices down, which forces managers of factories to sacrifice safety,” Flott said.

The forced decrease in prices takes money away from the factories and its workers, simultaneously weakening their already fragile safety provisions. Panel moderator and human rights activist Pramila Jayapal said to be aware when purchasing cheap clothing.

“The low cost of clothes is not actually a low cost of clothes,” Jayapal said. “It has an incredibly high price that is paid by people like Sumi and Kalpona.”

Get updates after each bargaining session by calling 253-983-3928

The UFCW will award several scholarships in 2013. The scholarships awarded will be up to $8,000 each and go to UFCW members or their unmarried dependents. The scholarship application will be available online from March 31 through June 15, 2013. For more information and to apply online go to www.ufcw.org/scholarship.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced last week that former Hostess workers are eligible to apply for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) after a lengthy investigation found that increased imports of baked products “contributed importantly” to the company’s sales declines and eventual closure.
 

When Hostess Brands shut down and closed its bakeries in November 2012, approximately 18,000 workers in 48 states lost their jobs, including about 250 here in Washington state. Although right-wing pundits were quick to try to blame the unions for the iconic company’s demise, it didn’t take long for the true story come out: that the unionized workers at Hostess bakeries had continually made many sacrifices to keep the company afloat, but what ultimately doomed the Twinkie maker was plummeting sales and mismanagement.

As it turns out, the company was also harmed by foreign competition.

At the request of Christian Dube of Operating Engineers Local 286, Bill Messenger, Workforce Investment Act Labor Liaison for the Washington State Labor Council, helped petition for TAA certification for laid-off Hostess workers in Washington.

“Any certification is bittersweet, as it often signifies the outsourcing of family-wage jobs,” Messenger said. “It’s significant that Hostess workers are offered benefits well above regular dislocated workers. It’s unfortunate that it took so long to certify the facilities, but we were glad to hear they will have access to Trade Adjustment Assistance.”

TAA can provide fully funded training, a health coverage subsidy, extended income support, and other benefits to dislocated workers whose companies move production or outsource to another country, or are forced to lay off workers or close plants due to increased imports and foreign competition.

The unions in Washington State whose members lost their jobs in the Hostess closure are reaching out to those laid-off workers to inform them of meetings where they can learn about TAA benefits and how to individually apply. Former Hostess workers can email Bill Messenger or Caitlyn Jekel, or call them at 360-705-9469.

Local 367 will be awarding four $500 scholarships.
To be eligible you must submit an application by no later than 5:00 p.m., May 31, 2013.
You will find an application at the link below.

UFCW Local 367 Scholarship Application

The week of October 24, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries sent letters to injured workers letting them know whether their doctor had joined the new workers compensation medical network. The medical provider network is part of the 2011 workers’ compensation reforms designed to improve outcomes for injured workers and cut costs for the state’s workers’ compensation program.  When the network begins January 1, 2013, an injured worker can still see any doctor for their initial office or emergency room visit, but for additional care, they will need to transfer to a medical provider in the new L&I network.

 There are about 6,000 doctors in the network and more are expected to join by January 1, 2013. The new network will help injured workers get the best possible care and return more workers to good health and their jobs.

 Anyone can check to see if their doctor is in the medical provider network by going to www.FindA Doc.Lni.wa.gov. This online director is updated daily.

 Workers whose doctors are already in the network, and whose applications to join are being processed, do not need to take any action.  But injured workers whose doctors have not yet applied to join should encourage their doctors to do so.

 Any workers with an open claim will need to move to a doctor in the network no later than January 1, 2013.  The Department of Labor & Industries will help workers covered by the state workers’ compensation plan who are having trouble finding a new medical provider. 

 Those providers required to be in the networker include: physicians, chiropractors, naturopathic physicians, doctors of podiatry, advanced registered nurse practitioners, physician assistants, dentists, and optometrists.

 If you have questions regarding this change in the L&I process, you may contact the Department of Labor and Industries at 1-800-547-8367. If you need assistance, contact your union representative by calling 253-589-0367 or 800-562-3645.

OLYMPIA — Research shows that tens of millions of dollars have been pumped into Washington state’s economy over the last two years as state healthcare leaders have aggressively pursued financial assistance to help implement reforms known as “Obamacare.” Generous grants to University of Washington medical and health programs, medical professionals, community health clinics, local businesses, and the state now total nearly $400 million.  

  “The economic story of healthcare reform has not yet been told,” said Sen. Karen Keiser-D, Kent, chair of the Senate Health & Long-Term Care Committee. “Our difficult state budget situation would be more dire without the economic stimulus and savings Obamacare has and will bring.” 

 Some of the notable federal grants include:

 •             Large employers, including the Alaska Air Group, Boeing, Puget Sound Energy, Washington state, and a number of Taft Hartley trusts, have received nearly $24 million in reinsurance payments — which encourage employers to provide health coverage for retirees. All companies have saved millions of dollars in retiree health insurance costs;

•             Doctors, clinics and hospitals have received $109 million in grants to install electronic medical records (EMRs); EMRs are more efficient and provide safer patient care;

•             Colleges and universities have received $18 million in grants for job training for healthcare professionals;

•             Washington state’s benefit exchange, the Healthplanfinder, received $23 million the first year plus $128 million the second year for set-up and operation;

•             Washington’s seniors who have reached the “donut hole” in prescription coverage under Medicare have saved $79 million, including $250 rebates; and

•             Community Health Centers and Tribal Clinics received nearly $68 million to provide health care to low-income residents.

 The next phase of health reform, Medicaid expansion, will save millions of taxpayer dollars now spent on state-funded health programs. Washington’s state and local savings are estimated to be at least $100 million annually beginning in 2014. Expanded Obamacare will also create approximately 100,000 local healthcare jobs.

• Lets millions of young adults stay on parent’s insurance until age 26.
• Ends insurance company power to cap the amount of care a person can receive in their lifetime.
• Stops insurance companies from canceling coverage when someone gets sick.
• Lowers the cost of care for those on Medicare and helps seniors save money on their medication.
• Requires insurance companies to cover preventative services like mammograms free of charge.
• Strengthens and protects Medicare by increasing penalties for fraud.
• Stops insurance companies from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.
• Ends insurance company power to jack up rates without justification.
• Provides Americans with rebates from insurers who spend too much on CEO bonuses or ads.
• Gives tax credits to small business owners so they can afford to offer quality health care for employees.
• Builds and improves hundreds of community health centers.
• Gives hard-working Americans tax credits so they can afford insurance beginning in 2014.
• Ends discrimination against adults with pre-existing conditions beginning in 2014.
• Prevents insurance companies from charging women more than men, and overcharging those who need care the most in 2014.
• Creates state-based market places where people can easily compare and shop for insurance beginning in 2014.

By CANDICE CHOI — AP Food Industry Writer

     The Kroger Co. says it gave CEO David Dillon a 66 percent pay hike last year largely as a reward for the supermarket chain’s improved performance. The nation's largest traditional supermarket chain gave its top executive a pay package worth $8.9 million, up from $5.4 million in 2010, according to an Associated Press analysis of a regulatory filing made Friday, May 11, 2012.

     The hike reflected a bigger cash performance bonus, which rose to $2.7 million, from $808,020. The Cincinnati-based grocer, which operates Kroger, Ralphs, Food 4 Less (QFC, Fred Meyer) and other chains, uses a formula based on the company's financial results to determine annual incentive pay for its executives. The higher payout this year also included a long-term bonus of $619,000 that was instituted in 2008.

     Since then, the board has twice instituted additional long-term bonuses that will result in Dillon collecting extra pay for the next two years as well. That's on top of the annual bonuses he will get.

     Dillon, who became CEO in 2003, also saw his stock and option awards rise to $5.2 million last year, from $2.9 million in 2010. His salary edged up 1 percent to $1.3 million. All other compensation for the 61-year-old executive came to $115,600 and primarily covered insurance premiums.

     Kroger, like many supermarkets chains, has struggled to keep prices low for customers in recent years because rising commodity costs are forcing it to pay more to stock its shelves. Kroger has managed the balancing act by controlling its operating and administrative costs. It has also intensified its focus on marketing its store brands, which help keep costs in check.

     In its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Kroger noted that revenue at supermarkets open at least a year rose 4.9 percent in 2011 compared with the year before; the company noted that was substantially better than most its competitors and above its own goals.

EXECUTIVE PAYWATCH!

     We need your help. CEO pay is out-of-control, but we have a chance to rein it in. CEOs of the largest companies now make 380 times the pay of the average worker in the United States. Yes, that’s right. 380 times!

     This growing income inequality is hurting our nation’s economy and working families.
Luckily, some small steps have been taken to bring CEO pay out into the open but, as The New York Times editorialized recently, corporate lobbyists are pressuring the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to drag its feet about making this information public.

     Runaway CEO pay is bad for our economy and it’s bad for the morale of working families. Employees at every level, from the executive suite to the mailroom, contribute to making a company successful.

     But companies act as if CEOs alone are responsible for the success of their organizations. That’s why the average CEO of an S&P 500 company received a 13.9 percent raise in 2011 compensation—to an astounding $12.94 million.

     The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act requires public companies to disclose CEO-to-worker pay ratios. Disclosing these pay ratios will shame companies into stopping runaway CEO pay.

     But corporate executives are lobbying hard to keep this pay information secret. We need to let the SEC know that a few corporate lobbyists advocating for the interests of the 1% does not outweigh the views of working families who feel CEO pay has run amok.

Click on this link to find out what you can do:
http://act.aflcio.org/c/18/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=4198