Fact Finder. Local Vol.52 No.1 January Minneapolis Retail Contract Negotiations Kick Off January 14

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1 Fact Finder Minneapolis, MN Local Vol.52 No.1 January 2014 Minneapolis Retail Contract Negotiations Kick Off January 14 By Matthew Utecht It seems like only yesterday when we concluded our last round of negotiations with the major supermarket companies. It was a oneyear contract that kept our Health and Welfare and Pension without change, but unfortunately included another year of wage freezes making it four straight years of wage freezes when you include the previous contract. Now we are starting the process over again as we prepare for negotiating the next Minneapolis Retail Grocery contract in Soon the employers and UFCW Local 653 staff, negotiating committee and I will begin to work through a pile of thorny issues--chief among them the future of our Health and Welfare plan in the age of the Affordable Care Act, and wage increases. The federal legislation commonly known as ObamaCare introduces serious complications to our system of union-negotiated health benefits. No one knows yet how it all will get resolved, but your union is absolutely committed to negotiating the best possible package that will have the least possible negative impact on the membership. As far as wage increases go, need I say more than, after four years of sacrifice by our membership in an effort to help our employers gain a financial edge on the nonunion competition in Minneapolis, it s our turn to be on the receiving end of some financial gain. As you can see, the negotiating committee has been selected and notified of the January 14 kickoff date. The committee is made up of your Local 653 Executive Board and an additional 34 rank-and-file members from throughout the industry. Many very qualified people submitted letters to get on the committee, but in an effort on my part to control costs I capped the number of committee members at 50. THANK YOU to everyone who submitted letters! As the negotiating process begins, be sure to bring any questions you may have to the attention of your union representative. You should also feel free to call me at Our representatives are qualified to provide the most factual information about our negotiations with your employer. We will also set up a link on our website -- ufcw653.org-- where we will post both the employers and union s contract proposals as soon as they become available. On the website we will also provide any other pertinent information regarding developments from the Minneapolis Retail Contract negotiations. As the process continues, you ll probably hear rumors coming from strangers, coworkers and management. Your responsibilities as a union member include disregarding all kinds of false information coming from unreliable sources. Most importantly, it will be vitally important to stand strong with your union! Your solidarity as a member of UFCW Local 653 will help ensure the best possible outcome for these negotiations! Byerly s Patrick Gabriel Cindy Kugel Tracy Officer Nick Stute* Harlan Wetmore Gayle Wilson Cooper s County Market James Fink Cub Foods Christy Dusbabek Steve Erickson Mike Feldt Kristine Foslien Mike Gaulrapp* Mike Gerdesmeier Nathaniel Gregg Cindy Hanson Erik Hasse Norma Jean Hendricks Judi Johnson* Theresa Kick* Scott Larson* Jeff Maynus Mary Schwake William Vadakin Scott Van Bergen Cub Foods (Williston) Paul Merchlewitz* Fresh Seasons Market Doug Dehmer* Jerry s Cub Foods/Jerry s Foods Keven Millner* Doug Powers Carla Anderson King s County Market Jeffrey Poe 2014 MINNEAPOLIS RETAIL NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE Knowlan s Festival Foods Melissa Charles* Christopher J. Erickson Kowalski s Patrick Smith Paul Willems Lunds Kari Anderson-Peckham Nanette Kaye Dustin Lopez Rainbow Foods Amber Allen Mike Cedarblade Mark Husbyn Jerome Linsmeier Dave Maas* Nate Moist John Pignato* Tom Potvin* Colleen Ryan* Mary Schmidt* Scott Scofield Mike Sperbeck* Lorrie Wayman* *indicates Executive Board member SCHEDULED NEGOTIATION DATES AT HALL 653 JANUARY 14, 15, 28 and 29 FEBRUARY 4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26 RATIFICATION March 2, 2014 Doors open 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (meeting at noon)

2 Pg 2 - Fact Finder - January th Annual Breakfas

3 t with Santa Claus! January Fact Finder - Pg 3

4 Thank you to all the members and their families who attended Breakfast with Santa and made this year s event the best ever. A special thank you to those who generously donated to Toys for Tots we made quite a haul! Also, thank you to Kowalski s Catering for a delicious breakfast. Have a wonderful holiday season. Pg 4 - Fact Finder - January 2014

5 Off the Line, Again By Steven Milner During much of November and early December the staff of Local 653 was on an informational picket line. With the help of many great members, the executive board, and some management we stood seven days a week, eight hours a day on public property in front of a new Walmart in Andover. We were there to inform the public of our view of the store. There are a few stores within a five-mile radius of this monstrosity that are under contract with us. These stores have been in the community for many years, they employ over 500 members, and have given much to the area. They are the ones that have sponsored the youth teams, allowed the scouts to sell their wares, and provided our members with wellpaying jobs. Because of those jobs, these members have been able to raise their families, to buy houses and cars, and to pay taxes. The toilet I am talking about does none of that. They take their money and run fast to Arkansas where it is distributed to the members of the Walton family, who are all among the top ten richest people in the Unitied States, at $25 billion each. There is no regard for their employees or their distributors. They claim that they buy American, but when you take out the sales of soda, chips, crackers, candy, and water, there are not much of their sales that are American made. The following rants are MY opinion and, as an American, I have that right. It goes out to all members, management, and anyone who is invested in this industry or makes their living off of it: I believe that because of Walmart s track record in how they treat women as second-class citizens and continue to abuse them that women should never spend a dime there. There are hundreds of legal actions against them at any given time that pertain to this issue. I believe that anyone who calls themselves a Christian should also avoid this place like the plague. Their abuse of women workers of all kind and their third-world atrocities are all factors here. I believe that anyone who pays taxes should steer clear of this place. A Walmart store costs the county they are in $500,000 per year. As part of their hiring process they provide newly hired people a list that contains all of the social programs for which they can apply for. I believe that each dollar that is spent at Walmart is one more dollar that they use for expansion, with the goal of total control which includes the loss of your job. I believe that most of this also applies to the bullseye. Because they are the hometown giant, they keep their noses clean for the most part here. That is not the case in other parts of the country. The stories I hear put them in the same category as Walmart. I believe that there is nothing there that cannot be purchased at many other stores. While I was standing on the line one cold day, a young woman who works at one of our member stores told me that she had gone into a Walmart store a while back to check prices for herself. What she told me was that with her company discount card, the great ads, and with coupons, she always gets a better price at the store where she works. Union yes United We Bargain Divided We Beg Executive Board Members Matthew P. Utecht, President Paul Crandall, Secretary-Treasurer Nick Stute, Vice President 7 Colleen Ryan, Recording Secretary Paul Merchlewitz, Vice President 8 David Mass, Vice President 1 Melissa Charles, Vice President 9 Mary Schmidt, Vice President 2 Judi Johnson, Vice President 10 Tom Potvin, Vice President 3 Scott Larson, Vice President 11 Doug Dehmer, Vice President 4 Michael Gaulrapp, Vice President 12 Theresa Kick, Vice President 5 Keven Millner, Vice President 13 Lorrie Wayman, Vice President 6 John Pignato, Vice President 14 UFCW Local rd Avenue North Maple Grove, MN or Matthew P. Utecht, President Paul Crandall, Secretary-Treasurer FRESH SEASONS MARKET: Minnetonka, Victoria JERRY S FOODS: Jerry s Sausage Brainerd / Baxter Cub Foods - S.A.V.E Foods - Baxter Super One - Crosby Super One - Pequot Lakes Supervalu - Byerly s St. Cloud Business Representatives Richard Milbrath CORPORATE CUB FOODS: Apple Valley, Bloomington, Burnsville HOTC, Burnsville South, Chanhassen, Eagan West, Eagan East, Lakeville, Lakeville South, Rosemount, Savage, Shorewood Steve Milner LUNDS: Lake Street, Central, Edina, Richfield, Minnetonka, Bloomington, Wayzata, Navarre, Plymouth, Hennepin, Prior Lake, Lunds Kitchen, Trainers/Drivers BYERLY S: Edina, Golden Valley, St. Louis Park, Ridgedale, Burnsville, Chanhassen, Eagan, Maple Grove BONE MARCHE : St. Louis Park Bill Spartz Homestead at Anoka - Golden Living (Bloomington & Chateau) - Villa at Bryn Mawr - Park Health & Rehab - ABM (Bloomington & Chateau) - Innsbruck Healthcare - Oaklawn Healthcare - Gold Cross - Brede s - Hirshfield s CORPORATE CUB FOODS: Monticello KOWALSKI S MARKETS: Lyndale, Eagan, Hennepin, Chicago, Eden Prairie Doug Rigert Sullivan s Supervalu - Bergan s Supervalu JERRY S CUB FOODS: Bloomington, Brookdale, Eden Prairie, Knollwood, Lake Street, Nicollet, Rogers, Southdale, West Broadway JERRY S FOODS: Edina, Eden Prairie, Jerry s Enterprises Greg Larson Ingebretsen s - Nelson Meats - Swanson Meats - Cooper s County Market - Almsted s Fresh Market - Jubilee Foods - Cub Foods Shakopee - Driskill s Foods - Oxendale s Market KNOWLAN S FESTIVAL FOODS: Andover, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park Nancy Vaillancourt CORPORATE CUB FOODS: Blaine North, Blaine South, Brooklyn Park North, Brooklyn Park South, Coon Rapids South, Crystal, Champlin, Fridley, Maple Grove, Silver Lake Road, Rockford Road, New Brighton, Vicksburg CUB FOODS - Coon Rapids (Williston), Minnetonka (Haug) JERRY S CUB: Elk River Everett s Foods Organizer: Jim Schommer RAINBOW FOODS: Apple Valley, Blaine, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Chaska, Columbia Heights, Coon Rapids, Eagan, Eden Prairie, Lake Street, Lakeville, Maple Grove, Plymouth (6th Ave), Plymouth Station, Quarry, Richfield, Savage, St. Louis Park, Uptown KING S COUNTY MARKET: Andover Matt Utecht KING S COUNTY MARKET: St. Francis January Fact Finder - Pg 5

6 Black Friday Protests Make History By Jim Schommer For the second year, members of OUR Walmart have made history. Leading up to and on Black Friday, Walmart workers, along with many community supporters, held about 1,500 protests calling for better jobs and better pay at the world s largest retailer. This made the 2013 Black Friday actions even more widespread than last year. Members of OUR Walmart and supporters engaged in peaceful civil disobedience in Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Dallas, Sacramento, Miami, and Washington, D.C. The actions resulted in more than 100 arrests, making Black Friday 2013 the largest protest and civil disobedience action taken against Walmart. With the hard work and dedication of OUR Walmart members and civil rights, faith and community groups, and others, the worker-led protests captured national attention and brought light to the fact that too many Walmart workers are struggling to support their families. During the protests, members of OUR Walmart and its many supporters called on Walmart to stop its practice of retaliating against workers who are simply exercising their right to speak out for a better life and improved working conditions, and publicly commit to raising wages and increase access to full-time hours so that no worker at Walmart makes less than $25,000 per year. More information on all of the Black Friday action with photos and videos can be found at Brainerd Members Ratify Contract By Paul Crandall On Thursday, December 5, Local 653 members voted and ratified a one-year agreement covering the Brainerd Cub, Baxter Cub, Crosby Super One, and Baxter Super One grocery stores. Local 653 members braved over a foot of snow and subzero temperatures to vote on their contract which included the following items: One-year agreement Maintain Health & Welfare and Pension contributions at no cost to the employee Employers shall have the right to fill all department head positions without regard to seniority Employer will be allowed one (1) apprentice to each two (2) Journeymen Wages: o o o $0.50 per hour increase on all top-rated and above full-time employees $0.30 per hour increase on all top-rated and above part-time employees Bagger / carry-out / custodial / general cleanup with seven or more years with employer shall receive an additional $0.25 per hour While it was our hope to bargain a multi-year contract, the Affordable Care Act regulations and changes have not been made final and its impact on our members and the plan will not be known until March when the Minneapolis Retail contract is bargained. President Matt Utecht, the negotiating committee, and I worked hard to shape a one-year agreement that would set the foundation for a multi-year agreement next December. Maintaining Health + Welfare and Pension at no cost to the employee, along with wage increases, were President Utecht s mission. He took a strong position in negotiations that this would be in the final offer, and it was! While keeping in mind that the members have been on a wage freeze the past three years, a one-year contract with maintenance of benefits and a wage increase is a step in the right direction moving forward for the hard-working members in the Brainerd area. I want to thank the negotiating committee of Julie Feierabend from Cub Brainerd, Amber Rosecrans from Crosby Super One, Bob Heldt from Cub Baxter, and Ken Lenk from Baxter Super One, for their hard work and commitment representing their coworkers at the bargaining table. Thanks for a job well done! You Are the Union By Bill Spartz I have heard members refer to me, a business agent, as the union. A member will say, Well, you re the union. I am a business agent of the union but the union is those members who work in one of our covered industries. Being a member gives you rights and privileges an at-will employee does not have. Being a member is in your hands. Whether you are part-time, full-time, waiver or nursing home worker, grocery clerk or paramedic, if you are covered under a Local 653 contract you are a union member. A member can pay dues and receive the benefits of the collective bargaining agreement that covers their employment. A member can vote on their contract for ratification. A member can attend meetings for contract proposals or just general membership meetings held the first Monday of each month at Hall 653 in Maple Grove. We send out a newsletter each month, have a website, and have business agents visit the workplace. We educate and inform our members on issues in the workplace, as well as state and federal issues. You all collectively are the union. When you shop for groceries at a non-union store you are affecting your own jobs. Good jobs and good benefits build good communities. The union recently did an informational picket at the Andover Walmart site. Business agents were the base of the line but many members gave their time to stand and deliver our message to the Andover community. While some people do not believe our philosophy, we were successful in having an effect on the shopping habits in that community. The union made a difference. The union is you and in union there is strength. We head into negotiations in 2014 for the majority of our members. It will be the union that makes a difference. It will be you! Pg 6 - Fact Finder - January 2014

7 Dealing with Difficult Coworkers By Nancy Vaillancourt We all have worked with someone at one time or another who can make being at work a miserable place. Difficult people come in every variety and no workplace is void of them. Dealing with difficult people is easier when that person is just generally obnoxious or when the behavior affects more than one person. Dealing with difficult people is much tougher when they are attacking you or undermining your professional contribution. The best way to deal with a problem is to see it coming, before they invade your space. If you work closely or deal regularly with an argumentative coworker, anticipate ahead of time how you are going to handle the situation. When you are unprepared, you are likely to react instinctively to your anger and annoyance with bad behavior, which not only accomplishes nothing, but could end up getting both of you into trouble, making a bad situation worse. Play the part of the professional. Instead of having a witty comeback, aim to resolve the conflict. Do not be tempted to retaliate. It is the worst thing you could do. People who instigate confrontation and cause tension also thrive on controversy. Instead, kill em with kindness. It is the ammunition for fighting off irrational people. They will either end up too frustrated or bored and eventually give up. Sometimes a difficult person is simply a troubled person looking for an ally. Unfortunately, this person makes enemies instead of friends. Break down that barrier and you may find someone who could use a friend. Once you have crossed enemy lines and become comrades, this person may become aware of his/her downfalls and look to you for advice. If a difficult coworker is not receptive to your attempt at defusing the situation, it is necessary to then involve a third party to help with the situation, such as your department manager or store director. You should not ignore a bad coworker relationship it is not likely to go away on its own. Do not give someone the power to determine if you have a good or bad day. Tobacco Stings By Rick Milbrath Changing Address or Recently Moved By Greg Larson Sooner or later we all move. Yes, then comes the task of all those address updates and phone numbers that we have to change. When it comes to working in our industry, do not forget updating your new address and phone number(s). When doing so, please remember these following three important contacts: Health & Welfare and Pension Fund Office is Wilson- McShane Corporation ( or ) Wilson-McShane Corporation takes care of administering health insurance claims, optical, dental, and prescriptions, along with, monthly pension checks, life insurance, disability claims, plan changes, and mailings. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 653 ( or ). UFCW Local 653 takes care of mailing out the local newsletter. These newsletters notify you of monthly meetings, elections, current events such as Bowling for Leukemia, fishing and golf tournaments, Ours Resort in Lutsen, and Camp 653 on Lake Ida by Monticello, Hall 653 (our banquet facilities), and the Health Fair. Also, remember to send in the mailing forms for tickets to these special events: Twins, Timberwolves, Wild, Vikings, Minnesota Zoo, State Fair, Valleyfair, and Renaissance Festival. Let s not forget also that we need your current address information so we can send you a ticket for voting eligibility at your contract ratification. Employer Any time you change your address it is very important to notify your employer. Also, make sure they get your new phone number(s). The sooner you notify Wilson-McShane Corporation, Local 653, and your employer, the better we can serve you. Let s start the New Year out right! Selling tobacco products is serious business. Retailers must comply with two sets of regulations: state and city codes. State codes provide for a fine, but more importantly, they go on to say that any city may adopt ordinances to provide more stringent regulations on this matter. In checking several different sets of ordinances from communities around our jurisdiction, all of the codes were very similar. But, the thing that stood out in all of them was compliance checks, more commonly referred to as sting operations. DON T GET STUNG! This is how a compliance check works. Underage shoppers, who are at least fifteen years old but less than eighteen years, are enlisted with the written consent of their parents or guardians. They are accompanied into the store with an undercover police officer. The minors try to purchase tobacco while the officer watches the transaction in the background. After the sale is completed, the officer approaches the cashier and the store manager and informs them of the illegal tobacco sale. The important thing about the compliance check that everyone must know is that the minor used in the sting is not allowed to lie. Here is some language taken from one of the city codes: No minor used in the compliance checks shall attempt to use false identification misrepresenting the minor s age, and all minors lawfully engaged in the compliance check shall answer all questions about the minor s age asked by the licensee or his or her employee and shall produce any identification, if any exists, for which he or she is asked. Now that we know that the minors used in compliance checks must be completely honest, I would recommend that you ask a simple question: Are you eighteen years of age or older? If this is a sting operation, the minor trying to buy cigarettes must give you an honest answer. You should then follow your company policy. The fact that you have asked the question only protects you from a sting where the authorities have arranged for an underage person to attempt to make a purchase of tobacco products as part of a compliance check. Even if you ask that question, you could face disciplinary action under your company s policies or prosecution by authorities if you make a sale to someone under 18 if you did not card the individual and it is not part of a compliance check sting. This is why it is so important that you card any person who even remotely appears to be near 18 years of age, even if the person states that she or he is 18 years old or older. It is better to be safe by asking the question and, even if the answer is, Yes, I m 19 years old, card the individual if there is any question in your mind as to the person s age. Knowing this information will not only save you a court date, but more importantly your job. January Fact Finder - Pg 7

8 UFCW Local 653 Members: Knights of Columbus - Marian Hall 1114 American Blvd. W. Bloomington, MN Retiree s Club Meeting Notice Thursday, January 16 10:00 a.m Cards 12:00 p.m. Lunch 1:00 p.m. Speaker For more information: Thea Gullekson: Char Hanson: or Marlen Wahl: United Food & Commercial Workers Union, Local rd Avenue N. Maple Grove, MN or Change Service Requested NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No Twin Cities, MN No Ticket or ID? No Admittance! No Exceptions! By Matt Utecht A ratification meeting for the purpose of voting on the Minneapolis Retail Contract will be held on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) at UFCW Hall 653. Voting hours will be from 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. As a member of UFCW Local 653 you will receive a letter in February informing you of the date, time and place of the meeting. A ticket with your name and address on it will be included with the letter. In order for you to receive a ballot and be admitted into the meeting, you must present your ticket and proper identification at the door. The doors will be open at 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, March 2, There are two different colored tickets that are being mailed out, each with an identifying color: Blue Ticket Holder: Eligible for One Full Vote (Members who have paid the full initiation fee and whose dues are current through January 2014) UFCW LOCAL 653 RATIFICATION MEETING Sunday, March 2, :00 p.m. Doors open from 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. UFCW Hall rd Ave N, Maple Grove, MN Present this ticket with proper identification to receive your BALLOT at the door. Yellow Ticket Holder: Admittance into Meeting Only (Members who owe initiation fees or are arrears in dues through January 2014) UFCW LOCAL 653 RATIFICATION MEETING Sunday, March 2, :00 p.m. Doors open from 7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. UFCW Hall rd Ave N, Maple Grove, MN Present this ticket with proper identification to receive your ADMITTANCE at the door. Members who receive a yellow ticket can come to the union office no later than Friday, February 28, 2014, to pay up any dues or initiation fees that may be in arrears. At that time your yellow ticket will be exchanged for a blue ticket, allowing you one ballot to vote at the ratification meeting on Sunday, March 2, REMEMBER: In order to be admitted into the meeting and receive a ballot, YOU MUST PRESENT YOUR BLUE TICKET AND PROPER IDENTIFICATION AT THE DOOR. Please have these items readily available, as this will allow the process to run as smoothly and quickly as possible. The doors open at 7:00 a.m. for those members who cannot stay for the meeting but wish to vote and leave. I URGE ALL MEMBERS TO ATTEND THIS IMPORTANT RATIFICATION MEETING!