The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) is a

labor union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

representing approximately 1.3 million workers in the United States and Canada in industries including retail; meatpacking,

food processing Food processing is the transformation of agricultural products into food, or of one form of food into other forms. Food processing takes many forms, from grinding grain into raw flour, home cooking, and complex industrial methods used in the mak ...

and manufacturing; hospitality;

agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...

;

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

; chemical trades; security;

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

, and health care. UFCW is affiliated with the

Canadian Labour Congress The Canadian Labour Congress, or CLC ( or ), is a national trade union centre, the central labour body in Canada to which most Canadian trade union, labour unions are affiliated. History Formation The CLC was founded on April 23, 1956, thro ...

(CLC) and the

AFL–CIO The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) is a national trade union center that is the largest federation of unions in the United States. It is made up of 61 national and international unions, together r ...

; it disaffiliated from the AFL–CIO in 2005 but reaffiliated in 2013. UFCW is also affiliated to

UNI Global Union UNI Global Union, formally Union Network International (UNI), is a global union federation for the skills and services sectors, uniting national and regional trade unions. It has affiliated unions in 150 countries representing 20 million workers ...

and the IUF.

History

The UFCW was created through the merger of the

Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America The Amalgamated Meat Cutters (AMC), officially the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America, 1897–1979, was a labor union that represented retail and packinghouse workers. In 1979, the AMCBW merged with the Retail Clerks I ...

(AMC) union and

Retail Clerks International Union The Retail Clerks International Union (RCIU) was a North American labor union that represented retail employees. History The RCIU was chartered as the Retail Clerks National Protective Union in 1890 by the American Federation of Labor. It later ...

(RCIU), following the new union's founding convention in June 1979. William H. Wynn, president of the RCIU and one of the designers of the merger, became president of UFCW at the time of its founding. The merger created the largest union affiliated with the

. The UFCW continued to expand both by organizing and merging with several smaller unions between 1980 and 1998. In 1980, the

Barbers, Beauticians and Allied Industries International Association The Barbers, Beauticians and Allied Industries International Association (BBAIIA) was a labor union representing workers in the personal grooming industry in the United States and Canada. The union was founded on December 5, 1887, as the Journeym ...

merged with UFCW, followed a year later by the United Retail Workers Union (now Local 881). The UFCW held its first regular international convention in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, in 1983. The Insurance Workers' International Union also that year voted to have their 15,000 members join the UFCW. In 1986 the Canadian Brewery Workers Union merged with the UFCW. However, it was also during this time period that the UFCW leadership did not support the

Austin, Minnesota Austin is a city in and the county seat of Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 26,174 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The town was originally settled along the Cedar River (Iowa River), Cedar River and has ...

meatpackers local (P-9) in its contract dispute with the

Hormel Foods Corporation Hormel Foods Corporation, doing business as Hormel Foods or simply Hormel, is an American multinational food processing company founded in 1891 in Austin, Minnesota, by George A. Hormel as George A. Hormel & Company. The company originally fo ...

, the 1985–86 Hormel strike. The UFCW ultimately struck a deal with Hormel management, seized control of Local P-9, and removed the local union leaders, actions that dealt a blow to the credibility of the UFCW in the eyes of others in the larger labor movement. This dispute was the subject of the award-winning documentary, ''

American Dream The "American Dream" is a phrase referring to a purported national ethos of the United States: that every person has the freedom and opportunity to succeed and attain a better life. The phrase was popularized by James Truslow Adams during the ...

''. In 1991 the 5,000 members of the Independent Food Handlers and Warehouse Employees Union in Rhode Island and Massachusetts merged with the UFCW to form Local 791. Bringing about the largest addition to the UFCW since its creation in 1979, on October 1, 1993, the

Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Founded in 1937, the RWDSU represents about 60,000 workers in a wide range of industries, including but not limited to retail, grocery stores, p ...

, and their 100,000 members, merged with the UFCW, becoming the RWDSU District Council of the UFCW. In 1994

Douglas H. Dority Douglas H. Dority was president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), one of North America's largest labor unions. Early life Dority was born on December 9, 1938, in Marion, Virginia. Activism and career Dor ...

was appointed the second international president by the International Executive Board following the retirement of William Wynn. Dority was subsequently elected to remain International President at the UFCW's fourth regular International Convention in 1998, and again at the fifth regular convention in 2003. In 1994 the 15,000-member strong

United Garment Workers The United Garment Workers of America (UGW or UGWA) was a United States labor union which existed between 1891 and 1994. It was an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor. History The UGWA was formed in New York in April 1891 and led a ...

of America also merged with the UFCW. A year later, the 15,000-member Textile Workers and the 15,000-member

Distillery, Wine and Allied Workers' International Union The Distillery, Wine and Allied Workers' International Union (DWAW) was a labor union representing workers involved in making alcoholic drinks in the United States. History The union was founded in 1940 as the Distillery, Rectifying and Wine Worker ...

unions merged with the UFCW, forming respectively the UFCW Textile and Garment Council and the UFCW’s Distillery, Wine and Allied Workers Division. In 1996 the 40,000 members of the

International Chemical Workers' Union The International Chemical Workers' Union (ICWU) was a labor union representing workers in the chemical industry in the United States and Canada. History The union's origins lay in the Chemical Workers' Council, established by the American Federa ...

merged with the UFCW to form the International Chemical Workers Union Council of the UFCW. A year later, the Canadian Union of Restaurant and Related Employees merged with the UFCW. And the following year, both the United Representatives Guild, Inc. and the Production Service and Sales District Council merged with the UFCW. In 2003, 80,000 members of the UFCW across the country went on strike to protect their wages and benefit packages. In 2004 following the retirement of Dority, Joseph T. Hansen was appointed by unanimous vote of the UFCW International Executive Board to be the third international president of the UFCW. He was elected for two consecutive terms as international president by delegates to the UFCW's Regular International Conventions in 2008 and 2013. In 2005 Hansen announced the UFCW was leaving the

, and joined six other unions – the

Teamsters The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) is a trade union, labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of the Team Drivers International Union and the Teamsters National Union, the union now represents a di ...

, SEIU, UNITE-HERE,

Laborers A laborer ( or labourer) is a person who works in manual labor typed within the construction industry. There is a generic factory laborer which is defined separately as a factory worker. Laborers are in a working class of wage-earners in whic ...

United Farm Workers The United Farm Workers of America, or more commonly just United Farm Workers (UFW), is a labor union for farmworkers in the United States. It originated from the merger of two workers' rights organizations, the National Farm Workers Associatio ...

and

Carpenters Carpentry is a skilled trade and a craft in which the primary work performed is the cutting, shaping and installation of building materials during the construction of buildings, ships, timber bridges, concrete formwork, etc. Carpenters trad ...

– in creating a new labor federation, the

Change to Win Federation The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), formerly known as the Change to Win Federation (CtW), is a coalition of North American labor unions originally formed in 2005 as an alternative to the AFL–CIO. The coalition is associated with strong advoca ...

. On August 8, 2013, the UFCW announced it was changing its affiliation back to AFL–CIO. On December 15, 2014, Anthony "Marc" Perrone was appointed the fourth international president of the UFCW by the International Executive Board, following the retirement of Hansen.

Activity

Canadian agriculture

The UFCW has attempted to organize agricultural workers in

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada, since 1995, when the provincial government passed legislation prohibiting those workers from joining unions. In 2001 the

Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; , ) is the highest court in the judicial system of Canada. It comprises nine justices, whose decisions are the ultimate application of Canadian law, and grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants eac ...

ruled in favour of UFCW Canada in the case of ''Dunmore v. Ontario''. In the ruling, the Court held that the Ontario government violated the

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' (), often simply referred to as the ''Charter'' in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part of the '' Constitution Act, 1982''. The ''Char ...

by denying agricultural workers unionization rights under Ontario

labor law Labour laws (also spelled as labor laws), labour code or employment laws are those that mediate the relationship between workers, employing entities, trade unions, and the government. Collective labour law relates to the tripartite relationship be ...

as it had infringed on those workers'

freedom of association Freedom of association encompasses both an individual's right to join or leave groups voluntarily, the right of the group to take collective action to pursue the interests of its members, and the right of an association to accept or decline membe ...

. In 2004, UFCW Canada and the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) signed a formal organizing protocol recognizing the UFCW as the union with primary jurisdiction for organizing agricultural workers in Canada and agreeing to cooperate on joint organizing and advocacy campaigns.

Medical Cannabis and Hemp Division

The

industry was originally targeted for union organizing by UFCW Local 5 special operations director Dan Rush in 2010. After some initial success, Rush has since been serving federal prison time for cheating the union for personal gain by taking bribes from employers, and both the local and international unions have disowned him. In 2010, Rush brokered a deal in which some California medical-marijuana business owners voted to become UFCW Local 5 members, in return for union endorsement of marijuana law reform. Recognized shops in Oakland included Richard Lee's Oaksterdam University, Oaksterdam Gift Shop, Blue Sky Coffee Shop/Dispensary, and the Bulldog Coffee Shop; and AMCD Dispensaries Inc, and the Patient ID Center. Soon after, the workers at Medi-Cone Farms of California joined the union. Between May 2010 and June 2011, more California business owners signed a neutrality agreement with UFCW, including Humboldt Bay Wellness Center and 707 Cannabis College in the

Emerald Triangle The Emerald Triangle is a region in Northern California that derives its name from being the largest cannabis-producing region in the United States. The region includes three counties in an upside-down triangular configuration: * Humboldt Coun ...

of the California north coast. The international union realized that the industry consisted of the union's core industries, retail pharmacy and healthcare, agriculture, food processing and textiles-with hemp. Few of these Top-Down Recognitions or Neutrality Agreements resulted in competitive contracts for cannabis workers in California. Only a handful of dispensaries in California have dues-paying members. On 17 September 2015, the office of the

United States Attorney for the Northern District of California The United States attorney for the Northern District of California is responsible for representing the federal government in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. The Northern District of California encomp ...

announced that a federal grand jury had indicted Rush on a variety of counts on the basis of his cannabis-related union activities. He pled guilty in 2017 and served 37 months in federal prison. In 2024, UFCW cannabis delivery drivers threatened to strike against Eaze, a California cannabis delivery company. The union reached a tentative agreement with Eaze, which included higher pay, better rules for vehicle reimbursement, and working conditions.

Work stoppages and conflict with corporations

2003 California grocery strike

On October 11, 2003, the UFCW declared a strike on

Vons The Vons Companies, Inc. is a supermarket chain owned by Albertsons, with most of its locations in Southern California and the Las Vegas Valley. It is headquartered in Fullerton, California, and operates stores under the Vons and Pavilions ban ...

(owned by

Safeway Inc. Safeway, Inc. is an American supermarket chain. The chain provides grocery items, food and general merchandise and a variety of specialty departments, such as bakery, delicatessen, floral and pharmacy, as well as Starbucks coffee shops, and veh ...

), in

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...

, because of company-proposed changes to the new labor contract. These changes included cuts in health care and pension benefits, and the creation of a

two-tier system A two-tier system is a type of payroll system in which one group of workers receives lower wages and/or employee benefits than another.Sherman, Arthur W.; Bohlander, George W.; and Snell, Scott. ''Managing Human Sesources.'' Cincinnati, Ohio: South ...

in which new workers would be paid on a different schedule than existing workers. These changes were proposed due to competition from non-union retailers like Walmart. The day following the strike,

Albertsons Albertsons Companies, Inc. is an American grocery company founded and headquartered in Boise, Idaho. With 2,253 stores as of the third quarter of fiscal year 2020 and 270,000 employees as of fiscal year 2019, the company is the second-large ...

and

Ralphs Ralphs is an American supermarket Chain stores, chain in Southern California. The largest subsidiary of Cincinnati-based Kroger, it is the oldest such chain west of the Mississippi River. Kroger also operates stores under the Food 4 Less and Fo ...

, owned by

Kroger The Kroger Company, or simply Kroger, is an American retail company that operates (either directly or through its subsidiaries) supermarkets and multi-department stores throughout the United States. Founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cinc ...

, locked out their Southern California employees. The strike ended on February 26, 2004, when the UFCW and affected companies reached an agreement on a new contract. Union employees voted to end the strike, and many employees cited financial difficulties as a reason for ratifying the agreement. The new labor contract included concessions granted by the chains relating to current employee benefits and wages, and concessions granted by the union relating to creating two tiers of employees and cutting benefits overall.

Smithfield Foods

During the 1990s and 2000s, the UFCW was embroiled in a dispute with non-unionized meat processing company

Smithfield Foods Smithfield Foods, Inc., is an American pork producer and food-processing company based in Smithfield, Virginia. Founded in 1936 as the Smithfield Packing Company by Joseph W. Luter and his son, the company is the largest pig and pork producer in ...

. The UFCW had repeatedly attempted to organize the company's

Bladen County, North Carolina Bladen County ()
, from the North Carolina Collection's website at the

meat-packing plant, but Smithfield Foods resisted this organizing. In 2007, Smithfield filed a federal lawsuit against the UFCW citing the

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization. RICO was e ...

(RICO), claiming that the union orchestrated a public smear campaign to hurt Smithfield's business as a method of extorting the company. In the media, a Smithfield official cited the lawsuit as necessary by claiming that the company was "under attack," while union officials responded by calling the lawsuit an "attack on democracy and free speech." In October 2008, the UFCW and Smithfield reached an agreement, under which the union agreed to suspend its boycott campaign in return for the company dropping its RICO lawsuit and allowing another election. On December 10 and 11, workers at the plant voted 2,041 to 1,879 in favor of joining the UFCW, bringing the 15-year fight to an end.

Walmart

Walmart Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...

, a non-unionized company, has repeatedly been accused by the UFCW of treating its workers poorly and driving down employment standards. The UFCW has repeatedly attempted to organize the chain, but these attempts have been unsuccessful in the United States. In

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, the UFCW managed to win union recognition at two

stores in

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

and one in

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

. Walmart closed the Jonquière store and workers in Saint-Hyacinthe voted to decertify UFCW in 2011. The union has also applied for recognition at a dozen other Walmarts and had won a contract with a Walmart store in

Gatineau, Quebec Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also par ...

, Canada. After a couple years of unsuccessful negotiations between the union and Walmart the workers at the store decided to leave the union. The last remaining unionized Walmart in North America was located in

Weyburn, Saskatchewan Weyburn is the tenth-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. The city has a population of 11,019. It is on the Souris River southeast of the provincial capital of Regina and is north from the North Dakota border in the United States. The na ...

. Walmart successfully repelled an attempted UFCW unionization campaign there in August 2013 when the

dismissed the union's attempt to compel Walmart to reach a collective agreement with it; workers at the Weyburn store then voted 51 to 5 to decertify the union. In April 2005, as part of a volley of accusatory websites created by Walmart and the UFCW, the union created Wake Up Walmart, a US-based website and campaign with the stated goal of reforming Walmart's business practices.

Bashas'

In 2007,

Bashas' Bashas' is a grocery store chain, primarily located in Arizona, with two locations outside the state in Crownpoint, New Mexico, and Shiprock, New Mexico. Its headquarters are in Chandler. As of December 15, 2021, Bashas' is owned and operated by ...

filed a lawsuit against UFCW with the Supreme Court of Arizona. The lawsuit accused the UFCW and the union's operatives - including its "false-front" organization, "Hungry for Respect" - of defamation and intentionally interfering with the grocer's operations to extort an agreement for union representation. The company also named Radio Campesina (a project of the United Farm Workers Union founded by Cesar Chavez), Councilman Michael Nowakosky, and Reverend Trina Zelle as defendants.

Jim Beam

In October 2016, about 250 workers for

Beam Suntory Suntory Global Spirits Inc., formerly known as Beam Suntory, Inc., is an American beverage company that is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings, a Japanese multinational beverage conglomerate. The company produces alcoholic beverages. It is the th ...

(the producer of the whiskey bourbon brand

Jim Beam Jim Beam is an American brand of bourbon whiskey produced primarily at James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky by Suntory Global Spirits. It is one of the best-selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795 (interrupted by Prohi ...

) went on strike over long working hours and the hiring of temporary workers in lieu of permanent full-time workers at two distillery facilities in

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

. The strike ended after about a week with a new labor contract that included a cap on the number of temporary workers and a commitment from the company to hire more full-time employees.

Stop & Shop

The 2019 Stop & Shop strike began on April 11, 2019, when approximately 31,000 workers, represented by the UFCW, walked off the job and began picketing

Stop & Shop The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, known as Stop & Shop, is an American regional chain of supermarkets located in the northeastern United States. From its beginnings in 1892 as a small grocery store, it has grown to include a 365-store chain ...

locations in the states of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

, and

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

. The strike was in response to the company not agreeing, after extensive negotiations, to a contract which did not reduce employee pay and benefits. The strike ended eleven days later on April 21. The tentative agreement preserved health and pension benefits and raised employee pay.

Heaven Hill

In September 2021, about 420 members of UFCW Local 23D went on strike at the

Heaven Hill Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. is a private family-owned and -operated American distillery, founded in 1935 and headquartered in Bardstown, Kentucky, that produces and markets the Heaven Hill brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a vari ...

bourbon distillery in

Bardstown, Kentucky Bardstown is a list of Kentucky cities, home rule-class city in Nelson County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 13,567 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the list of counties in Kentucky, county seat of Nelson Count ...

Political activities

In the United States, the UFCW's

political action committee In the United States, a political action committee (PAC) is a tax-exempt 527 organization that pools campaign contributions from members and donates those funds to campaigns for or against candidates, ballot initiatives, or legislation. The l ...

spent $13,440,000 in the 2022 election cycle, 100 percent of which went to Democratic candidates.

International leadership

UFCW Union pin 2013 International Convention

The International Presidents of the United Food and Commercial Workers are: * William H. Wynn, 1979–1994 *

, 1994–2004 * Joseph T. Hansen, 2004–2014 *

Marc Perrone Anthony "Marc" Perrone (born November 14, 1955) is an American labor union leader. Born in Hearne, Texas, Perrone grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He began working at a local Weingarten's grocery store in 1971 when he was 16, and joined the Retai ...

, 2014–present In leading the union, the International President is supported by the International Executive Committee, which, in addition to the president, includes the International Secretary-Treasurer, and the union's three International Executive Vice-Presidents, one of whom historically includes the Canadian Director. The International Secretary-Treasurers of the United Food and Commercial Workers are: * Samuel J. Talarico, 1979–1982 * Anthony J. Lutty, 1981–1986 * Gerald Robert “Jerry” Menapace, 1986–1995 * Joseph C. Talarico, 1995–1997 * Joseph T. Hansen, 1997–2004 *

, 2004–2014 * Patrick J. O'Neill, 2014–2016 * Esther Lopez, 2016–2019 * Shaun Barclay, 2019–2023 * Milton Jones, 2023–present The International Executive Committee is a subcommittee of the International Executive Board, which is the union's highest decision making authority between regular conventions. The International Executive Board consists of the members of the International Executive Committee plus 50 International Vice Presidents, all of whom are elected by regular UFCW international conventions.

Canadian Director

The UFCW Canadian Director (also known as the National Director and, more recently, the UFCW Canada National President) is the union's ranking official based in Canada. The UFCW Canada National President is elected by Canadian delegates to UFCW regular conventions. As part of his or her duties, the UFCW Canada National President serves as the union's chief spokesperson in Canada, presides over the UFCW Canada national council, and represents the union on the CLC Canadian council. The UFCW Canada National President also leads the efforts of the UFCW Canada national office, which involve field staff in every Canadian province, as well as dedicated resources and staff for communications, training and education, political and legislative affairs, and special projects. The UFCW Canada National President also serves on the UFCW International Executive Committee as one of the union's three International Executive Vice Presidents. The Canadian Directors of the United Food and Commercial Workers are: * Clifford R. Evans, 1988–1992 * Thomas Kukovica, 1992–1999 * Michael J. Fraser, 1999–2006 * Wayne E. Hanley, 2006–2013 * Paul R. Meinema, 2013–2024
Shawn Haggerty
2024–present Prior to 1988, the UFCW's efforts in Canada were co-directed by the director of region 18 and the director of region 19. Region 18 included the former members of the

Amalgamated Meat Cutters The Amalgamated Meat Cutters (AMC), officially the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America, 1897–1979, was a trade union, labor union that represented retail and Meat packing industry, packinghouse workers. In 1979, the AM ...

, and its directors were Romeo Mathieu (1979–1983), Frank Benn (1983–1986), and Willard "Bill" Hanley (1986–1988). Region 19 included the former members of the

Retail Clerks Union The Retail Clerks International Union (RCIU) was a North American labor union that represented retail employees. History The RCIU was chartered as the Retail Clerks National Protective Union in 1890 by the American Federation of Labor. It later ...

, and its director was Clifford R. Evans (1979–1988).

Landrum–Griffin Act violations

The

Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 The Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (also "LMRDA" or the Landrum–Griffin Act), is a US labor law that regulates labor unions' internal affairs and their officials' relationships with employers. Background After enactment ...

(also "LMRDA" or the "Landrum-Griffin Act"), is a

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

that regulates labor unions' internal affairs and their officials' relationships with employers. On October 22, 2013, the

Office of Labor-Management Standards The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor that promotes standards for democracy and fiscal responsibility in labor organizations. It was formed in 1959. Activities OLMS administers and enfo ...

(OLMS) of the

United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health, wage and hour standards, unemp ...

accepted a voluntary compliance agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 5 (located in San Jose, Calif.), concerning the challenged election of officers conducted on September 4, 2012, as well as the March 22, 2013 re-run election ordered by the International union. The union agreed to conduct a new election, including new nominations, for the offices of president, secretary-treasurer, recorder, and vice-presidents 1 through 31 under OLMS supervision. The investigation of the challenged election disclosed that union resources were used when the UFCW International President sent a campaign letter to various UFCW officers soliciting contributions and his executive assistant obtained the recipients’ addresses while on union time. The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office. A UFCW member in Southern California filed a complaint in 2013 with the OLMS against former UFCW 1036 Trustees for illegally transferring $100,000.00 from the local union (1036) to UFCW International in a violation of Section 303 of the LMRDA. A statement reported: "The investigation disclosed that on February 26, 2009, the trustee (Shaun Barclay) appointed by the International (UFCW) to manage the affairs of the local (1036) transferred $100,000 of the local's monies to the International...The (UFCW) International... agreed that the transfer was unlawful and should not have occurred". Funds were returned to the appropriate local unions, following the investigation by the Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.

References

External links

*
United Food and Commercial Workers Canada
* Ansley, Fran and Anne Lewis
Going South, Coming North: Migration and Union Organizing in Morristown, Tennessee
''Southern Spaces'' 19 May 2011.

* ttps://www.thenation.com/article/archive/one-hat-labor/ One Hat for Labor?by David Moberg, ''The Nation'', April 29, 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:United Food And Commercial Workers Canadian Labour Congress affiliates AFL-CIO affiliates UNI Global Union Meat processing in Canada Meat processing in the United States Trade unions established in 1979 Food processing trade unions Retail trade unions Meat industry trade unions 1979 establishments in North America