In the Industry News section of this issue of 99Report, you’ll find articles on how many workers — many of them young — are seeking the benefits of union representation.
It is absolutely crucial to embrace these people into the Labor Movement so we can all grow stronger together. To do so, we must communicate effectively to young workers what a union can offer them. We can’t expect them to instinctually know everything that a veteran union member knows.
For a union organizing campaign at any workplace to succeed, all of the workers need to understand how and why a union works so hard to negotiate on their behalf to secure better wages and health benefits, paid sick leave, vacation days, scheduling flexibility and retirement security.
They should also learn about the power that comes with membership in the United Food and Commercial Workers, a union that represents workers in a wide range of industries, from grocery stores and drug stores to manufacturing and health care, from office work to custodial work, from cannabis dispensaries to food processing. Diversity enables workers in all of these industries and more to support each other in good times and hard times.
Add in the combined strength of more than 1.3 million UFCW members across the continent in and we get some serious bargaining power!
As our numbers grow, so does our ability to negotiate better wages and benefits for all members.
The power of our union doesn’t stop there. At all levels of government, from city halls to state capitals to Congress and the White House, the UFCW is a respected and effective advocate for the rights and welfare of all working people, whether they belong to a union or not.
All this and more is possible because of worker solidarity, the idea that we are stronger together than when we stand alone.
In a time when millions of people of all ages are feeling isolated and fearful of forces beyond their control, unions are the antidote. We deliver the message that no worker should ever have to struggle alone.
Together, we have the will, resources and ability to make meaningful change.
Let’s make the most of it!
