A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Companies Owe Workers for Success

UFCW 8’s contract with the

major supermarket employers is, without question, the finest deal for

food workers in the entire country.

We have always led the way in

wages, benefits and working

conditions.

    We have historically set the

industry standard and we are going

to do it again together.

    Our members are well aware of

the threat that Wal-Mart and other

non-Union retailers pose to our

Union market share.

    We also know about the health

care crisis in which spiraling costs

are squeezing Union-negotiated

benefit plans from coast to coast.

    Employers constantly complain

of these twin devils whenever they

negotiate with UFCW local Unions

across the country. They insist that

competition and health care costs

are forcing them to hold wages and

benefits in check.

Annual Profits Skyrocket

    That’s what they tell us. But the

facts that these companies report to

their shareholders tell a different

story. Their annual profits are

skyrocketing, increasing at rates

above 60 percent.

    In California — thanks in part to

UFCW-backed campaigns to raise

public awareness — Wal-Mart is

frustrated in its efforts to smother

the landscape with Supercenters.

Nationally, companies like Kroger,

Safeway and Albertsons are

fighting back successfully, often

gaining market share in

competition against Wal-Mart.

Jacques Loveall

President

International Vice President

Food employers are thriving because of our work. Together we will ensure that our members share in the success.

    It won’t be easy. In recent years

many employers have attempted to slash wages and benefits, not raise them.

    Getting more from employers

will require more from all of us —

more preparation, more discipline,

more energy and absolute unity.

We Are Ready

    We could have a fight on our

hands. In order to prevail, we must

be prepared to wield every weapon

in our arsenal, including our weapon of last resort: the strike.

    “Strike” is an ugly and scary

word. We know what happened in

Southern California almost four years ago. Nobody wants a strike, but in the context of labor negotiations, the best way to avoid one is to be ready for one.

    We need to prepare for any possible contingencies. Please do

your part by saving as much money

as you can. Postpone unnecessary

purchases until these negotiations

are over.

    This is not a time for gossip or

any kind of divisive talk. We must

be united as ever.

    This fine Union is the largest

and strongest local Union in the

Western United States. We are

getting larger and stronger all the

time. We have the resources, innovation and determination to

prevail. We will do whatever it takes to secure the wages and benefits you deserve.

    Working together, speaking with

one proud and strong voice, we

will prove once again that

“Solidarity Works!”