Your Union Stands Up for You

The pending acquisition of Safeway by Cerberus Capital Management, owner of Albertsons and other retail chains, provides additional evidence of a new wave of consolidation in the supermarket industry.

Fortunately, our members have UFCW 8-Golden State to stand up for them through this time of uncertainty.

Prior to the Cerberus-Safeway deal, the giant grocery conglomerate Kroger Inc. revealed it had purchased Harris Teeter, an upscale chain based in the southeastern U.S.

These companies and others have stated they need to be bigger to take on Walmart, which has been the country’s top-volume grocer for at least a decade. Walmart is infamous for using its size
to force its suppliers to cut costs and gain a competitive edge.

In recent years we’ve observed similar trends of consolidation in the airline, banking and telecommunications industries.

While we’ve seen companies come and go, one thing remains constant: our Union. In our 77-year history, UFCW 8-Golden State has built a remarkable record in fighting for the best interests of our members. Our only priority is service to our Union sisters and brothers.

Regardless of what happens in the course of the Cerberus-Safeway merger, we will do everything in our power to ensure our members’ contractual and legal rights are protected.

This holds true for any development in the corporate offices and work sites affecting our Union family.

In addition to contract enforcement, UFCW 8-Golden State works tirelessly to negotiate the best wages, benefits and job protections in the industries we serve, from wholesale meat processors to distilleries to doctors’ offices.

We also fight to safeguard your job by protecting Union market share (see our cover story on the closing of Fresh Markets in Sacramento as a recent and vivid example).

We fight for better laws in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., to give working families a break. We fight in the courts — most recently winning a victory in the U.S. Supreme Court (see page 7) — to protect the legal rights of workers to speak up.

We build alliances to uphold guaranteed lifetime security for people who retire. And we strive constantly to provide added benefits to our members, including discounts, access to special services and valuable tools for achieving financial security.

All of these Union achievements and more are possible because ...

Solidarity Works!