National Supermarket Worker Movement Continues to Grow and Gain Supporters,
          As Workers Stand Together for Better Wages and Benefits

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For the second month in
a row, grocery workers across America are coming together in an
unprecedented show of strength and solidarity. With nearly half a million
United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) grocery workers' contracts
up for negotiation over the next 18 months, grocery workers nationwide are
supporting each other through in-store actions and other support building
activities. Workers also have a website,
http://www.groceryworkersunited.org, which offers downloads of flyers,
videos, photos and news about the grocery industry.
    This is the first time that grocery workers have been united on such a
scale. Their movement is growing fast, gaining momentum and generating
buzz, as grocery workers nationwide gear up for bargaining in 2007. As
Javier Perez of UFCW Local 870, in Oakland, Ca. said, "National bargaining
re-enforces the whole concept of what a union means. It means we all band
together and struggle for what we think is right."
    Last month, supermarket workers represented by the UFCW launched the
national store-to-store movement of grocery workers. Workers wore 850,000
stickers in stores over five days in November, to demonstrate unity and
solidarity with other UFCW supermarket employees across the country.
    Now community members are voicing their support for grocery workers'
goals: career jobs with affordable health care, and wages that pay the
bills. UFCW members across the country have asked customers and the
community to stand by them as upcoming contracts are negotiated. And
workers have been overwhelmed by the positive response.
    As Su Tong of UFCW Local 400 in Bethesda, Md., noted, "Our customers
are very supportive of the stickers. I think that they'll support us,
because we are also members of their community. If we have better wages and
health care, it's good for everyone."
    To celebrate solidarity between grocery workers and the community, UFCW
members will wear a special sticker in their stores on December 27-31. The
sticker reads, "Grocery workers and community members for good jobs and
affordable health care."
    "Everybody needs health care," said Richard Waits, of Local 44 in Mt.
Vernon, Wa. "Our customers support us because they are facing the same
issues- paying for health care, supporting their families. Customers have
told me that they're glad we're fighting for those things, because it helps
the whole community."
    For more information, contact Jim Papian at +1-202-466-1564 or at
press@ufcw.org.


SOURCE United Food and Commercial Workers Union

Related links:
http://www.groceryworkersunited.org
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