As you look around your store you’ve noticed that the holiday season is in full swing which means fun, festivities and family gatherings.
When it comes to shopping for the festive holiday meals, ‘shopping union’ is easy. Just go down to your local union market and purchase your favorite foods… UFCW members simply shop where they work.
This means shopping at Fry’s, Safeway, Smith’s, Factor Sales and our two union Albertsons stores in Yuma.
But what do we do when we need to purchase other things, such as appliances and clothing? The retail industry has changed dramatically. For the most part, union department stores have gone the way of the dinosaur.
Look around where you do your grocery shopping. Some of the larger food stores carry small appliances and other gift items. They carry small televisions, blenders, toasters, CD players and many other products suitable for giving.
Protect friends and neighbors
Resist the temptation to go down the street to the monster non-union store to save a buck. Use your hard-earned dollars to protect the jobs of your friends and neighbors.
Look for the Union-Made label. Keep in mind that when you buy a union-made product, you are protecting the jobs of the working people who made it. You are also supporting a company that offers its employees a good job and fair representation.
Look for “MADE IN THE USA” products. When you buy American, you demonstrate that you don’t want our good jobs going to move overseas, where companies frequently exploit children and pay poverty wages.
We are in a different world than we were a few years ago. American companies are few and far between and sometimes part of global corporations. Just because you may think that a product is made in the U.S.A., it doesn’t mean it is. Look for the label!
By far the most important thing when it comes to shopping should be a no-brainer: DON’T SHOP AT WALMART. This anti-union company is still out to destroy the jobs of every union wage-earner in this industry, and that includes you.
Don’t let your spouse shop at Walmart. Don’t let your children shop at Walmart. Don’t let your mother, father, sisters, brothers, neighbors or friends shop at Walmart.
You can even use your young children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews to your advantage. They might not understand the economic fallout that shopping at Walmart has on your job and your community, but once they get the idea that it’s not right to shop at Walmart, they will be the first to snitch on the family members who do. Guilt ensues and they’ll think twice about walking through the smiley-face doors.
Be aware of what you’re buying, who made it and where you’re buying it. All it takes is a little effort on your part and we can improve the lives of millions of working people. And you’ll feel good about what you’re buying.
