When we sit down with employers at the bargaining table, we aren’t just negotiating for better contracts; we are fighting for our dignity and our families.
Too often, we face gigantic corporations that rely on a divide-and-conquer strategy. They’ll try to convince our members that their bosses have their best interests at heart and that workers don’t need a union to stand up for them. To weaken our collective spirit, they’ll post anti-union messages on social media and distribute self-serving literature at the workplace, arguing that they are making generous offers and our union is being “unreasonable” in demanding more.
The most pleasant word I can think of for this kind of behavior is “rubbish.” Without unions, workers are largely helpless individuals who are forced to take what the company is willing to give them or else find somewhere else to work.
This is why I am writing to remind everyone of the foundational truth of our movement: Solidarity is strength!
More than a slogan
Solidarity is more than a slogan we cheer at rallies or a word we use to sign off on emails. It is a way of life. It is the daily choice to stand together, knowing that when one of us is exploited, all of us are at risk.
The power of our union is not measured by the size of our strike fund, though that is important, but by the unity of our membership. When we are divided, we are weak and our demands are easily ignored. When we stand shoulder to shoulder, our strength is unmatched.
This explains why union workers typically earn between 12 and 30 percent higher wages than those who work similar jobs without union representation. The difference is even greater when we account for the superior health and retirement benefits enjoyed by union workers.
Throughout California and across the continent, from grocery stores to meat processing facilities and from doctors’ offices to cannabis shops, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers are winning historic contracts by organizing and refusing to back down. They don't win by hoping for the best; they win because they see beyond their individual differences and act together for the betterment of all.
Real solidarity means that my picket line is your picket line. It means supporting our bargaining teams, staying informed, and engaging in the hard work of organizing.
Fighting for dignity
In this issue of Desert Edge, you will see articles about how grocery workers at El Super fought for dignity and how pharmacy workers and other health professionals at Kaiser are standing united for fair treatment. Our union is dedicated to helping them prevail in their struggles. Of course, not every relationship with the employers is adversarial. In many workplaces, including Golden Triangle Dentistry (see page 9), we have been able to work with management to negotiate strong new agreements that our members were happy to ratify.
It is easy to be cynical in today’s world. We are told to focus only on our own careers, our own salaries, our own immediate needs. But that individualistic approach is a trap. It makes it easier for billionaires and corporations to erode the labor standards that previous generations fought for.
Solidarity is our protection against the volatility of the economy and the anti-worker agendas that seek to diminish your power. It is the understanding that our common bond is far stronger than any difference in our backgrounds, our job titles or our personal beliefs.
When we stand together, we are not just employees. We are UFCW Local 1167, and we are unstoppable.
Let us protect one another. Let us stand up for one another. Let us fight for one another.
Your success is my success and my success is your success.
A victory for you is a victory for me and a victory for me is a victory for you.
Solidarity is strength!
UFCW Local 1167 President Joe Duffle
(909) 877-5000 ext 150
joe@ufcw1167.org