As seen in the Unity: Spring 2024 – President’s Report. See past copies of the Unity here.

Why do we organize?

We organize because bringing new workers into our union helps raise their living standards and also protects your standard of living!

In this issue of Unity, we can see the positive impact UFCW membership has on workers’ lives. Our members at Hanover Foods received more than $350,000 in back pay because they had a union to back them in their fight to restore their lost earnings. New members at a cannabis facility ratified their first contract, which addressed their needs, gave them a meaningful voice on the job, and established benchmarks in an emerging local industry.

The strong contracts we negotiate can become a powerful recruitment tool. What worker doesn’t deserve their wages, benefits, and working conditions laid out plainly in a legally binding contract?

The benefits of a growing membership are numerous. A greater density of union workers in the industries we represent equates to more leverage at the bargaining table. This strength at the table leads to better contracts, more respect on the work floor, and ultimately leads to a better standard of living for all working families.

A matter of survival

The excellent agreements we negotiated in the past several years were made possible by the hard work of a dedicated and mobilized membership.  Make no mistake, there were serious takeaways proposed that never made it into our final contracts. As our numbers continue to grow, employers will think twice about coming to the bargaining table with proposals that disrespect our members.

Local 152 has a strong legacy of organizing, of committing our time, financial resources, and expertise to bring new workers into the union family. We do it because union growth isn’t something we can put on the back burner. It’s a matter of survival for the working class.

Union approval in the United States is as high as it’s been in many of our lifetimes.  It is up to each of us to step forward and educate our families, friends, and neighbors about the value of union representation. As more non-union workers organize and enjoy job security, improved wages and the plethora of benefits that come with union membership, our society at large will have a greater respect for workers’ right to organize.

Daniel Ross, Jr.
President, UFCW Local 152

Read past issues of President’s Report, or learn more about President Daniel Ross, Jr.

Why not you?

Learn more about how UFCW Local 152 can help you and your coworkers: fill out the Union Interest Form or contact the Director of Organizing Mike Thompson today.