Winter 2019

President’s Report:‘We stand on theshoulders of thosewho came before us’

Union

PROUDLocal 1167membersratify contracts

Meet our scholarshipwinners

2 DESERT EDGE

DESERT EDGEJoe Duffle Editor

Official quarterly publication of Local 1167, UnitedFood and Commercial Workers International UnionServing San Bernardino, Riverside and ImperialCounties, California.

Headquarters:855 W. San Bernardino Ave.Bloomington, CA 92316

Mailing address:P.O. Box 1167Bloomington, CA 92316

Union offices are openMonday-Friday, 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.Closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays

Business telephone:(909) 877-5000

Toll-free telephone:(800) 698-UFCW

Food and Meat Division insurance:(909) 877-1110

Drug & General Sales Division insurance:(909) 877-2331

Telephone hours:8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Published by

Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2019Wednesday, March 18, 2020Meetings start at 7 p.m.New Member meetings are also heldmonthly at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at:

UFCW Local 1167 Auditorium 855 W. San Bernardino Ave.Bloomington, CA 92316

Contents

ON THE COVER:Member at Food 4 Less 786, Colton

3 President’s Report We stand on the shoulders those who came before us

4 What’s HappeningRetirements, marriages, births

6 Scholarship RecipientsBill Sauriol Award Feature

8 Labor History Series Roy Sessions

11 Steward Profile Jamie Escarcega

14 Editorial Workers’ Rights assault

18 Industry NewsStater Bros. Frahm Retires

16 Around 1167New Union Staff

10 Rosie’s CornerDealing with Holiday Stress

12 Labor History SeriesPete Waasdorp Retires

Union officesclosed

Next QuarterlyMembership Meetings:

www.ufcw1167.org

Notice to all members: Your dues are now payable!If you are one of the few members of the local who are NOT YET signed up for dues checkoff: YOUR DUES ARE NOW DUEAND PAYABLE. IF YOUR DUES ARE NOT PAID ON OR BEFORE THE FIRST OF EVERY MONTH, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY SUS-PEND YOURSELF.

With dues checkoff, all future dues can be deducted automatically from your pay check. If you do not have an authorizationform, call the local and one will be sent to you immediately.Nonpayment or payment of the incorrect amount will automatically suspend you — a costly and inconvenient mistake. Althoughnot required, the local, as a courtesy, normally sends billing notices by first-class mail to those not on dues checkoff. It is themember’s obligation to pay dues in a timely manner. Not receiving a notice is not an excuse for failure to pay dues on time.

Avoid suspension. Authorize dues checkoff today!

Are you a new member of UFCW Local 1167? Has one of your

co-workers recently joined our union?

Get up to a $65 credit toward your initiation fee when you attend a

New Member Orientation Meeting within six months of your hire date.

Call (909) 877-5000 for dates,locations and answers to any questions.

NEW MEMBERM E E T I N G S

Watch your mailbox!

(714) 220-2297 • (562) 408-2715 • (877) 284-2320 • www.scufcwfunds.comGot questions? Contact the Trust Fund (ext. 424):for important information from your health benefits Trust Fund.

If you have problemswith: Alcohol, drugs, children & adolescents,family, emotional issues, gambling, marriage and/orfinancial/legal.

Eligible active or retiredmembers can call the toll-free MAP number at the

Health Management Centerany time, day or night, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All calls are confidential.

Food Divisioncall (800) 461-9179

Drug Divisioncall (866) 268-2510

MEMBERSHIP ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

MAPHere to help

ChristmasDec. 24 and 25

New Year’s DayJan 1

Cesar Chavez DayMarch 31

T here’s an old proverb, “If westand tall, it is because we standon the shoulders of those whocame before us.”

I was reminded of this as we beganthe series on the history of UFCW Local1167 that has been appearing in DesertEdge.

The series began in the fall of 2018with a profile on Bill Brooks, who servedas our union’s president from 1973 to1983. Bill passed away earlier this year,but his achievements in growing thestrength of UFCW Local 1167, includinghis leadership in building our headquar-ters in Bloomington, will never be for-gotten. In August 2019, Local 1167memorialized Bill’s accomplishmentswhen we named our Auditorium afterhim.

Subsequent articles in our Labor His-tory Series featured other leaders whobuilt up our union, including:

• Bill Sauriol, Local 1167’s presidentfrom 1983 to 2001, who oversaw ourmerger with Meat Cutters Local 439, or-ganized Food 4 Less stores in the region,led the charge against shady operatorsand non-union invaders like Walmart,built a warm relationship with legendary(and pro-union) Stater Bros. CEO JackBrown, and engaged the community atlarge in several projects to help workingpeople in our jurisdiction.

• Jim Bird, the visionary president ofMeat Cutters Local 439 who built hisunion into a powerful force in SouthernCalifornia’s Labor Movement.

• Paul Enriquez, another visionary whopreceded Jim Bird as president of Meat

Cutters Local 439.

• Bill Lathrop, who led UFCW Local1167 from 2001 to 2014, a period of un-precedented challenges that included theepic 141-day supermarket strike andlockouts of 2003-2004.

With this issue of Desert Edge, weprofile two other important leaders: Roy

Sessions, the president who led MeatCutters Local 439 into its merger withLocal 1167, and Pete Waasdorp, whohelped bring our service to the membersinto the modern era.

Each one of these profiles reminds mehow everything we have today as unionmembers — great wages, health care,pensions, guaranteed work hours, rightsin the workplace, union representation,discount tickets and much, much more— is the result of many decades of hardwork and dedication to the cause bythose who came before us.

As the current president of this greatlocal union, I am aware how all that Iwill accomplish will be possible becauseof them. My task is to work with today’sgeneration of members and union lead-ers to carry those accomplishments for-ward, and I understand and accept theresponsibility to build on them for thegood of the movement and for the goodof what is right.

And while I tip my union hat to thepast leaders of Local 1167, I also salutethe achievements of past labor leaders onthe national scene — Mother Jones, Eu-gene Debs, Samuel Gompers, A. PhilipRandolph, Cesar Chavez and others —who cleared the path for all of us to walkin our place and time.

Finally, let us not forget the millionsof rank-and-file members of America’strade union movement, those whowalked the picket lines, stood against theguns and clubs of corporate “enforcers,”and sacrificed their own safety and secu-rity in countless other ways to promotethe cause of worker solidarity.

3Winter 2019

President’s ReportJoe Duffle

JOE DUFFLEPresident

We stand on the shoulders ofthose who came before us

This is what itmeans to beunion. This is

what our unionis all about.

Continued on page 5

Andrea Butterfield, Albertsons, has a newdaughter, Scarlet Butterfield. “Our first girl”was born on Sept. 14, 2019, at 7 lbs. and19¼ inches.... Jesus Ontiveros, Stater Bros.,has a new son, Joshua Nicholas Ontiveros.“Our last baby boy, such a blessing” was bornon Aug. 24, 2019, at 7 lbs. 6 oz. and 20inches... Anthony and Clarivel Loquellano,Stater Bros., have a new son, Anthony JoshuaLoquellano, little brother to Aubrey and Natalie,born on July 15, 2019, at 8 lbs. 14 oz. and 19inches.... Tammy Martinez, Stater Bros, hasa new son, James Victor Chavez. “My last bun-dle of joy” was born on Aug. 28, 2019, at 6lbs. 4 oz and 18 inches.... Richard Corona,Vons, has a new son, Richard Corona. “We areproud parents,” Richard Sr. says. Richard Jr.was born on Oct. 22, 2019, at 7 lbs. 9 oz. and20 inches.... Christina Robles, UFCW Local1167, has a new daughter, Sophie GraceReyes, born on Sept. 15, 2019, at 7 lbs. 12 oz.and 20½ inches.... Susie Tryon, Stater Bros.,has a new son. Christopher Steven Tryon was

born on Oct. 30, 2019, at 5 lbs. 6 oz. and 19inches... Jennifer Johnson Barreras, StaterBros., has a new son, Jonah Barreras, born onOct. 23, 2019, at 8 lbs. 12 oz. and 20inches....Diego Gavino, Vons, has a newdaughter, Aubree Gavino, born on Oct. 15,2019, at 8 lbs. 8 oz. and 19¾ inches....Danielle Ruiz, Stater Bros, has a new daugh-ter, Dream Sheela Velletti, born on July 23,2019, at 8 lbs. 14 oz. and 20½ inches....Roxanne Valencia, Stater Bros., has a newdaughter, Evelyn Jai Halstead, born on Sept. 3,2019, at 6 lbs. 14 oz. and 19 inches.... NicoleA. Garcia, Stater Bros., has a new daughter,Kaizley Wilson, born on Aug. 21, 2019, at 5 lbs. 7 oz. and 18 inches.

Marc Pendergrass worked for Ralphs andAlpha Beta for 47 years. Michael Trevinoworked for Stater Bros. for 42 years. DanielMunoz worked for Stater Bros. for 41 years.Aurora Samarin worked at Ralphs and AlphaBeta for 40 years. Tony Villalobos workedat Vons for 40 years. Peter Waasdorp

worked for UFCW 1167, Meat Cutters Local439, Stater Bros. and Lucky-Gemco for 40years. Carla Loredo worked for Albertsons,Lucky and Alpha Beta for 38 years. MikeBrown worked for Albertsons, Vons, Luckyand Mayfair for 37 years. Ramona Powellworked for Albertsons and Lucky for 36 years.Dawn Clowdus worked for Stater Bros. for 35years. Warren Cliburn worked for StaterBros. and Alpha Beta for 34 years. Ron Grayworked for Stater Bros. for 34 years. (Lydia)Suzi Owensby worked for Vons and StaterBros. for 32 years. Juan Gonzalez worked atTianguis, Vons and Stater Bros. for 31 years.Elena Maldonado worked for Vons at 30years. Clarence McDonald worked at StaterBros. for 28 years. Charlotte Rodriguezworked for Stater Bros. for 24 years. AngelaRamos worked for Food 4 Less for 14 years.

4 DESERT EDGE

What’s HappeningJust Born

Just Retired

Just Married

Robert Barajas, a food clerk formerlyemployed by Stater Bros. Markets, diedon Oct. 19, 2019 at the age of 24. He hadbeen a member since August 2013.

James Black, a retired meat cutter for-merly employed by Walkers PackingHouse, Food Giant, Stop & Shop, andSmith Food King, died on Sept.r 23, 2019,at the age of 92. He had been a continuosmember since March 1947.

Ellen Brooks, a retired food clerk for-merly employed by Albertsons, died onOct. 3, 2019 at the age of 70. She hadbeen a member since July 2004.

William Fults, a retired food clerk formerlyemployed by Ralphs, died on Aug. 31,2019, at the age of 76. He had been acontinuous member since December 1968.

Shirley Gribas, a retired bakery clerkformerly employed by Safeway, died on

Oct. 10, 2019 at the age of 84. She hadbeen a continuous member since Febru-ary 1971.

Carol Hurstrom, a retired food clerk for-merly employed by Albertsons and Vons,died on Sept. 4, 2019, at the age of 72.She had been a member since February1980.

Arthur Hernandez, a retired food clerkformerly employed by Safeway and Vons,died on July 31, 2019, at the age of 76.He had been a continuous member sinceSeptember 1974.

Lawrence Johnson, a retired meatwrapper formerly employed by Vons, diedon Oct. 16, 2019, at the age of 99. Hehad been a member since March 1992.

Hanna Jure, a courtesy clerk formerly

employed by Albertsons, died on Novem-ber 5, 2019 at the age of 27. She hadbeen a member since February 2019.

Teresa Laudat, a general merchandiseclerk formerly employed by Stater Bros.Markets, died on Nov. 1, 2019 at the ageof 63. She had been a continuous mem-ber since April 2014.

Paul Muro, a retired food clerk formerlyemployed by Stater Bros. Markets, diedon Aug. 8, 2019, at the age of 88. He hadbeen a member since July 1955.

Cheryl Marhoun, an affiliated memberformerly employed by Vons and Albert-sons, died on Oct. 5, 2019, at the age of62. She had been a member since No-vember 2008.

Rebecca Ortega Hernandez, a retired

food clerk formerly employed by StaterBros. Markets, died on Sept.3, 2019 at theage of 58. She had been a continuousmember since September 1982.

Jackie Osborne, a retired food clerk for-merly employed by Ralphs, died on July 8,2019 at the age of 86. She had been acontinuous member since November 1968.

Gilbert Pena, a retired food clerk for-merly employed by Lucky, died on Oct. 24,2019 at the age of 84. He had been acontinuous member since August 1963.

Ronald Vanderboom, a retired foodclerk formerly employed by Alpha Beta,died on Oct. 19, 2019 at the age of 75. Hehad been a member since January 1963.

Dona Yetter, a retired meat wrapper for-merly at Sages and Safeway, died on Aug.26, 2019, at the age of 87. She hadbeen a member since December 1955.

In Memoriam

Shannon Munro, UFCW 1167, married JasonFranz on August 31, 2019, in an intimatebackyard ceremony. “We are excited to cele-brate in Saint Lucia,” Shannon says.

5Winter 2019

As a member of UFCW Local 1167, YOU are part ofthis continuing movement, and YOU have a critical rolein the ongoing progress of working people today and ingenerations to come. It falls on all of us to protect theachievements of the past and create new achievementsof our own.

Most recently, our members showed they had what ittakes to win a strong new contract in the retail food in-dustry.

I have no doubt we will do it again and again — butonly with your involvement.

I’ve said several times over my career: “You will not

sneak the union by the boss.” Nothing is for nothing. Itwill require a fight.

These corporations do nothing out of the goodness oftheir hearts. They must be forced to do the right thing.

Remember this: People have actually died so you andI can have the protections that we so easily take forgranted today.

So, as you walk in the parade of history, keep yourhead up and keep marching with pride along with yourfellow unionists of the past and present.

Do this, and our children and their children will also say:“If we stand tall, it is because we stand on the shoul-

ders of those who came before us.”

President’s Report: We stand tall on theshoulders of those who came before us

Continued from page 3

Members at Stater Bros. and Gelson’s ratify contracts

M embers of UFCW Local 1167 who work at StaterBros., the Stater Bros. Meat Distribution Centerand Gelson’s Markets voted overwhelmingly toratify new contracts with their employers in Sep-

tember and October.The three-year agreements, which also were approved by

members of other UFCW local unions in Southern Califor-nia, provide significant wage increases, retroactive pay, wageprogression improvements, funding to guarantee health carebenefits, and retirement security for union members.

The ratifications concluded several months of negotia-

tions between the employers and representatives of UFCWLocal 1167 and the other Southern California unions.

“The road to get here has been a long one for our mem-bers, but it was worth it,” Local 1167 President Joe Dufflesaid.

“We thank all of the Stater Bros. and Gelson’s memberswho showed up and fought side-by-side with their unionbrothers and sisters at Albertsons, Ralphs and Vons, at ral-lies and store actions across Southern California,” PresidentDuffle continued. “These actions have been the drivingforce behind getting a fair deal for everyone.”

Gelson’s members at their ratification meeting.

6 DESERT EDGE

Scholarship Winners

Vianne MilitarVianne is a freshman at Soka University of Amer-ica in Aliso Viejo, where she majors in social andbehavioral sciences and international studies.She wants to be a lawyer so she can representpeople of all genders, ethnicities and identitieswho may feel underserved in their communities.

Vianne credits her time in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards campduring her junior year in high school for teaching her the qualities ofleadership and stepping outside of her comfort zone to interact withother people.

Vianne is the daughter of Local 1167 member Janet Militar, a pharma-cist at Rite Aid.

Tory JohnsonTory is a freshman at Colorado State University,where she majors in animal science. She wants tobe a veterinarian who specializes in cardiology.Tory recently completed an internship at a localveterinary office. She also volunteers extensivelywith Guide Dogs for the Blind as a puppy raiser.

In that capacity, she has groomed, fed and trained dogs that becomecompanions to people with visual disabilities. The experience has taughther to persevere, figure out a problem and solve it with creativity andcompassion. “When a dog moves on to become a walking guide dog, wehave both learned so much in the process,” she says.

Tory is the daughter of Local 1167 member Melanie Johnson, a clerk’shelper at Vons.

Maria CapcoMaria is a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, whereshe majors in mathematics. She’s thinking aboutbecoming a software engineer or having anothercareer that involves math and computer science.Maria runs an online store where she sellsclothes. She learned how to code and now uses

that skill along with her taste for fashion to have fun and earn somemoney on the side. She credits her online store for teaching her fiscalresponsibility. It also helps her be environmentally responsible by en-abling others to purchase clothes she doesn’t want anymore so theydon’t end up in a landfill.

Maria is the daughter of Local 1167 member Maria Teresa Capco, apharmacist at Rite Aid.

Alexander PerryAlexander is a freshman at Palomar College,where he majors in international business. Hehopes to transfer to San Jose State Universityafter earning his associate’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in aviation. Alexander ultimately wants to be a commercial airline pilot.

He is inspired by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk to persevere and innovate despite criticisms. He also loves to snowboard and spend timewith his family.

Alexander is a Local 1167 member and a food clerk at Stater Bros.

Jillian EmerickJillian is a graduate student at California StateUniversity, Fuller ton, where she is star ting towork on her master’s degree in social work. Shewants to be a licensed social worker in a clinicalor school setting where she can help childrenand their families. Jillian earned her bachelor’s

degree with honors from Cal State Fullerton this spring. She also be-longed to the sociology honors society on campus. When she isn’tstudying, Jillian enjoys outdoor activities like horseback riding, hikingand mountain biking.

Jillian is the daughter of Local 1167 member Heidi Emerick, a food clerkat Ralphs.

Tyler CaldwellTyler is a freshman at College of the Desert inPalm Desert. He hopes to become a firefighterand will take EMT courses next spring in pursuitof that dream, but as a backup, he is takingbusiness development classes. He enjoys work-ing part-time at Stater Bros. while he pursues

his academic goals. Tyler credits his experiences there with improvinghis social interactions, accountability and professionalism. He lovesmusic and going to music festivals, as well as spending time with hisfriends.

Tyler is a Local 1167 member and a meat clerk at Stater Bros.

7Winter 2019

Scholarship Winners

Anthony NunezAnthony is a freshman at Cal State Fuller ton,where he majors in kinesiology. He doesn’t haveconcrete plans for what he wants to do for work,but he is sure that he wants to excel at what hedoes. He credits his experiences playing base-ball for teaching him not to be complacent and

to strive for more in life. Anthony has volunteered with Best Buddies, anonprofit organization that helps people with intellectual disabilities. Healso volunteers with a local church and food bank.

Anthony is the son of Local 1167 member Christina Olguin, a drug clerkat CVS.

Branching out

V ianne Militar, recipient of UFCW Local 1167’sBill Sauriol Scholarship Award, is fascinated byhuman behavior and society.

In order to expand her understanding of thehuman condition, she enrolled at Soka University ofAmerica in Aliso Viejo to pursue a major in social and be-havioral sciences and international studies. She chose thatschool so she could experience its broad diversity.

“I grew up in Yucca Valley all of my life and I hadn’tbeen exposed to people of different nationalities,” Militarsaid. “I knew I needed to branch out and gain new expe-riences.”

Militar has found her freshmen year intellectually chal-lenging and personally fulfilling. Her roommate is fromNepal and the students in her adjoining dorm room areRussian and Chinese.

“Being around all of these different cultures has helpedme be open minded,” Militar said. “I have wonderful peo-ple all around me.”

She is pursuing a career in law, a love she has had sincehigh school. She’s particularly interested in understandinghow government works and serves communities.

The local’s scholarship award helps make it all possi-ble.

“My mom and I were super thankful when we foundout I won the union’s top scholarship award,” she said.“Having other people recognize me this way is really grat-ifying.”

Miitar’s mother is Local 1167 member Janet Militar, apharmacist at Rite Aid.

A music lover, Militar has studied and practiced theflute, xylophone and bass drums since the third grade. Sheparticipated in her high school’s jazz band for a year.When she has the time, she also enjoys hiking and listen-ing to jazz and indie music.

Vianne Militar strives to learn about different cultures

BILL SAURIOL SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

Vianne Militar

8 DESERT EDGE

R oy Sessions, whoserved as president ofMeat Cutters Local439 when it merged

with UFCW Local 1167 in1995, looks back on his epiccareer with the perspective of awitness to the transformativepower of union activism.

“I owe everything to theUnion Movement,” said Ses-sions, whose 28 years in laborleadership also included threeyears as director of Local1167’s Meat Division prior tohis retirement in 1998.

Life as a migrant worker

“In my youth I was at thevery bottom of the Americanwork force, suffering with mybrothers and sisters the kind oflife that most Americans don’teven know exists,” he said.

“‘Dirt poor’ is no slogan tome,” he continued. “It’s a de-scription of a kind of lifeunions are dedicated to elimi-nating.

“I’ve devoted my adultyears to improving the lives ofour union members. When youcome from where I was, youknow the difference a unionmakes and the value of build-

ing a strong union.”Sessions is a native of Hen-

rietta, Okla., the secondyoungest of 12 children bornto migrant agricultural work-ers.

“I first went to work inTexas at the age of 6,” he re-called. “By the time we got toCalifornia, I was at it more orless full-time, picking potatoesand peaches, cutting grapesand picking cotton.

“Work was everything, somy father ran a constant effortto elude the truant officer,” hesaid.

“Even with my mother, fa-ther and five kids all workingin the fields, we were neversuccessful, never had anything.We often lived in shacks withno windows, no doors and noplumbing.

“One time when my fatherwas away, we nearly starved.For about a week all we had toeat was a little corn meal friedin grease. The caretaker of themigrant camp we were livingin passed by, saw our situation,and brought us some foodfrom her own home.

“I’ve always believed thatshe saved our lives. We were

that close to starving.”“One of the toughest jobs I

had as a child was hoeingsugar beets,” he said. “We bentover all day using a hoe with a12-inch handle. It was physical

torture, so much so that theshort hoe was eventually out-lawed by the state of Califor-nia.”

In 1950, the search for workbrought his family to Oakdale,near Modesto in Central Cali-fornia.

Start of a new career

At 18, Sessions left thefields and went to work for an

older brother who had leasedthe meat department at Mar-tin’s Market in Bakersfield. Heworked there 13 hours a day,seven days a week, to earn$100.

“After living as a migrantworker, I considered myselflucky to have that job, eventhough I didn’t get a day off aweek until I was there sixmonths,” he said.

Sessions joined Local 193of the Butchers’ Union in Bak-ersfield and found a job atMayfair Markets, where heworked his way up to the posi-tion of Head Meat Cutter.

When he started earningunion wages, he felt a littleguilty at first, making so muchmoney for only 40 hours aweek.

Nine years later, Sessionswas offered a position as aunion representative for MeatCutters Union Local 193 inBakersfield. It was a smallunion where the representa-tives had to do everythingfrom organizing to resolvinggrievances and handling healthand welfare matters.

Sessions said he is espe-cially proud of the organizing

LABOR HISTORYSER IES

EST. MAY 10, 1937

ROY SESSIONS LOOKS

BACK ON HIS EPIC LIFE AND CAREER

‘I owe it all to the Union Movement’

WHEN YOU COME

FROM WHERE I WAS,YOU KNOW THE

DIFFERENCE A UNION

MAKES AND THE

VALUE OF BUILDING

A STRONG UNION.

victories he participated in dur-ing the Bakersfield years.

“We organized some bigplants and brought one under aunion contract for the first time— that being the Tenneco al-mond processing plant,” he re-called.

“The other huge plant wasMike Yurosek and Sons, a car-rot shed that employed about300 workers. We weren’t suc-cessful in securing a contractthere because the ownersdragged the union all the wayto the Supreme Court. After afavorable court ruling fiveyears after our successful or-ganizing drive, only a few ofthe original employees werestill there. So we had no sup-port base left.”

Becoming a leader

In 1978, he was offered theopportunity to work for MeatCutters Local 439, headquar-tered in Claremont.

“I had worked on loan forthat local during the long strikein 1973,” Sessions said.

“Jim Bird, the long-timepresident of the local, broughtme in. We had our successes,but the eight-week SouthernCalifornia Meat Cutters strikein 1985 resulted in a big set-back.

“In the end, the employerswere able to institute a two-tierwage system in the MeatWrapper classification and inthe meat distribution centers.That meant that the newlyhired people were paid differ-ent wage rates for doing the

same work.” Sessions was able to elimi-

nate the two-tier wage systemin 1996 negotiations with theVons Meat Distribution Center,which employed approxi-mately 250 union members.

“We came out of those ne-gotiations with a tremendouscontract that received a 97 per-cent approval vote,” he said.

Birth of Local 1167

Sessions became secretary-treasurer of Local 439 in 1989before becoming its presidentin 1994. The local was the lastindependent Meat Cuttersunion in Southern California tomerge with a Retail Clerkslocal, a process that began withthe merger of the internationalunions to form the UnitedFood and Commercial Workersin 1979.

“This particular mergerturned out better than anyonecould have predicted or ex-pected,” he said. “That wasmainly because of PresidentBill Sauriol’s leadership ofUFCW Local 1167.

“Bill was dedicated to pro-viding the best of everything toour members, and they got it.He ran a heck of a good unionthat implemented our number-one philosophy — serve themembers.

“We merged to form Local1167 because we knew thatthere is strength in numbers,”Sessions continued.

“Being part of a big localhas been good for the Meat Di-vision. There’s no way a little

union out there by itself can dowhat our merged local can.”

In later years, Sessions ledthe way in winning many con-tract improvements, includingthe 1994 settlement with Ten-neco Plastics. The previouscontract was signed after a bit-ter six-week strike. The im-provements in the 1994agreement resulted in ratifica-tion by more than 96 percent ofthe members.

Other achievements underSessions’ leadership includedorganizing Enjoy Foods inFontana and a greatly im-proved contract at SpecialtyBrands in Riverside.

Bill Lathrop assumed theoffice of Local 1167 presidentin 2001, succeeding BillSauriol on his retirement, “andhe did an excellent job,” Ses-sions said. Lathrop retired2015.

The graduate

Over the years, Sessionswas able to fill in the formaleducation he lacked as a child,attending a number of collegesand universities before earningan associate’s degree in sciencefrom Chaffey College.

“I’m the only member ofmy family to graduate fromcollege,” he said.

It wasn’t an easy accom-plishment. Sessions had towork full-time for the unionwhile attending school three tofour nights a week to earn his

degree. During the strike of1985, he went 39 straight hoursbefore he got any rest.

Eventually, Sessions be-came an educator himself,leading the union’s Meat Ap-prentice Program for manyyears. In addition, he served asan administrator and trustee fora small health and pensionfund.

Sessions married his wife,Jan, in 1962. They have twochildren, Jamie and Cindy, andfour grandchildren; Kasey,Mason, Tucker and Connor.Jamie Sessions is a union rep-resentative for UFCW Local324 in Orange County andCindy became a UFCW mem-ber who worked for Vons inBakersfield.

“Jan deserves so muchcredit for the success and hap-piness of our family,” Sessionssaid.

“A union official spendsmany hours on the job andmany days away from home. Ittakes a special person to put upwith the life of a union official.I was no exception, but Jan ac-cepted it, raising the kids andnot complaining about any sac-rifice,” Sessions said.

“She’s quite a woman and Ideeply appreciate all she hasdone for me and our family.She sacrificed just as much as Idid over the years.

“She’s a wonderful wife,mother and grandmother. She’sthe absolute love of my life.”

9Winter 2019

Roy andJamie Sessions

e live in a society that demands action.We’re always on the go — getting thekids ready for school, getting to work,getting home, getting dinner — andthen we do it all over again the next day.

Sometimes we feel as if we’re run-ning on a hamster wheel. The stress of

it all can affect our moods, our relationships and our physical health.

How about slowing down for a minute? Do you have a window in front of you? Take a moment to look

outside and enjoy the light coming in or the stars shining bright. Maybe you’re drinking a cup of coffee. Here’s an opportunity

to enjoy the smell of your favorite holiday creamer and feel thewarm steam on your face.

This is especially important as we begin the holiday season,which amplifies our everyday stressors and complicates our liveswith new ones.

At this time of year, we become even more obsessed with mak-ing everyone else happy. We buy budget-busting gifts, put up dec-orations, send out greeting cards, host holiday parties and put upwith relatives we’d rather not deal with during the rest of the year.

And sometimes we feel stress about being denied the happinesswe see in others. Maybe we are alone or miss the presence of aloved one.

Aside from taking some valuable “me time,” we can keep inmind that it is perfectly fine to not be perfect. And don’t be shyabout asking for a hug when you need one!

Dealing with holiday stress:Don’t forget to breathe!

The holiday period from Thanksgiving through NewYear’s Day can be a time of joy and celebration, but it canalso be a season of stress, anger, fear, frustration and disap-pointment.

We’ve all known people who had the “holiday blues.” Itscauses can include stress, fatigue, separation from familyand financial concerns. Or it can be caused by lack of sun-light, internal chemical imbalances or even flaws in the cir-cuitry of our brains.

The fact is we all endure stress at some point, especiallyduring the holidays. We cope with traffic as we commutebetween home and work. We deal with frustrations on thejob, undesirable days off and the inability to get time off.

Aggravating factors can include unrealistic expectationsof how the holiday should be, comparisons to past holidays,or any number of “what if” and “if only” scenarios.

Whatever is bothering you, it can help to breathe and takethe time to enjoy the good things in your life.

One of those good things is your union contract. It givesyou job protections many people don’t have.

Here are some more suggestions for getting through theholidays in good shape:

• Keep your expectations realistic. (It’s OK if everythingisn’t perfect.)

• Set manageable goals.• Organize your time and pace yourself.• Set reasonable spending limits.• Don’t expect the holidays to fix personal problems that

existed before.• Do nice things for others who are less fortunate.• Don’t overindulge in alcohol.• And, last but not least, remember the spirit of the holidays!

10 DESERT EDGE

Rosie’s Corner

Dealingwith

HolidayStress

W

11Winter 2019

Steward Profile

D uring contract negotiationsthat took place earlier thisyear, Jaime Escarcega becamethe go-to person whenever his

coworkers had a question. “We went all in with the company

during some rough economic timesand we needed to earn our due,” Es-carcega said of the long bargainingprocess that ended in September. “I’mglad we stood up and fought for it.”

Escarcega, a clerk and steward atRalphs 98 in Riverside, said he feltmorale dip and surge during the sum-mer and it was his responsibility to“pump up the motivation” and help hisco-workers become as passionate as hewas about getting a good contract.

“The journeyman and longtimeclerks knew what was as stake, but ouryounger members didn't quite get it,”Escarcega recalled. “I got someyounger members to come handbillwith me. It was great.”

Proud of helping othersGood pay and benefits enticed Es-

carcega into the grocery industry in thelate 1990s. He started his career atStater Bros., but when he wanted tomove to Los Angeles, he had to quithis job because the company didn’thave stores in the city.

He worked in the restaurant indus-try for a while and then got hired byRalphs after the strike and lockouts of2003-2004. Since then, he has workedas a clerk’s helper, key carrier and nowclerk at Ralphs stores throughoutSouthern California.

Last year, he became a steward atthe suggestion of his store’s previoussteward.

“I got involved in my store and sawwhat we needed,” Escarcega said. “Ilike being the eyes and ‘blowing thewhistle’ when I see something thatisn’t right.”

One of the aspects that drew him to

be a steward was the opportunity to be“a part of something bigger than me,”he said.

Taking care of others is somethingEscarcega also does in his personallife. He looks after his mother andgrandmother while also being a part-time real estate agent.

“I’ve being doing it for a fewmonths, and I have already sold onehome,” he said. “I’m looking to sellmy next!”

Born to leadJaime Escarcega thrives on helping his coworkers

Jaime Escarcega

Jaime Escarcega handbilling in August during contract negotiations.

Dale Villalpando celebrated 40 years ofbeing a Local 1167 member. Her unionrep, Joe Parham, presented her with her40-year pin at her store, Stater Bros. 18,where she serves as a food clerk andsteward.

12 DESERT EDGE

LABOR HISTORYSER IES

EST. MAY 10, 1937

P retty soon, Pete Waasdorpwill have some time todo some things he’s al-ways wanted to do.

Waasdorp, Local 1167’slongtime communications di-rector and assistant to the presi-dent, says he plans to retire onDec. 29 at the youthful age of 56.

“I’m counting down thedays,” he said.

“There are so many thingsI’ve put off because I’ve beenso focused on my career and themembership of Local 1167,” hesaid.

He has always wanted to be

able to play golf with hiscousins, who live in the Nether-lands. “They always invite me,and I always have to say no be-cause of something happeningat work, thankfully, I won’thave to say I can’t anymore.”He said he plans to work on themany projects at home, such asrebuilding the engine on hischopper, and he plans to ride hisdirt bike a lot more often.

“I’m single, and both of myelderly parents have passed, sonow I’m going to take advan-tage of opportunities and gowhere the wind takes me,” he

said. “I’ve had invites to thisand that and I’ve always had tosay no, but that’s going tochange.”

“I’m so thankful I have theopportunity to retire with dig-nity and enjoy my retirement,thanks to the union,” he added.

Waasdorp began his careeras a box person at Gemco/Lucky in Pomona in August of1980. He was offered an ap-prentice Meat Cutter position in1982 and jumped at the chance.Stater Bros hired him in 1989before moving to Local 439 inDecember of 1993. All threecompanies were union chains,and his stores were representedby Meat Cutters Local 439 andthe UFCW.

“I was proud that Roy Sessionsand Jim Bird hired me to workat Local 439,” he said.

Gemco was an Americanchain of membership depart-ment stores owned by Lucky.The California supermarketchain eventually became part ofAlbertsons. It operated from1959 until closing in late 1986.Unlike other discount chains atthe time, all employees ofGemco were represented by theMeat Cutters and UFCW.

“Tom Sloan was the meatmanager at my Gemco store,”Waasdorp recalled.

“Tom would come throughthe store at 5 a.m. when I wasripping trash and keeping theaisles clear, and he noticed I waswearing my Damien HighSchool T-shirt. Tom’s son wasstarting as a freshman there, sowe got to talking. He mentionedthey needed an apprentice in themeat department and asked if Iwas interested. ‘Sure!’ I said.

“I was 17 at the time andcouldn’t legally work as a meatcutter, but that didn’t stop me,and that led to trouble. I didn’tknow because no one had everasked how old I was at the time,so when the State ApprenticeBoard learned I wasn’t 18 yet,they had called Local 439 to saythey were coming to take me offthe job.

“This was when Roy Sessions,who was a rep at Local 439,stepped in. Roy was there whenthe state officials came in to re-move me.

“By this time, I had turned18 just two or three weeks prior,so Roy stepped in and said,‘He’s 18 now,’ with the confi-dence and look that only Roy

Pete WaasdorpAssistant to the PresidentCommunications Director

Going where the wind takes himPete Waasdorp calls it a career

13Winter 2019

had. The state official looked atmy ID, then looked at Roy, andthey said, ‘OK, I guess we’redone here.’

“The rest of my career is his-tory.”

It was Roy Sessions wholater coordinated the subsequentmerger of UFCW Locals 439and 1167, “which gave us thestrength to move forward,”Waasdorp said. “He was the onewhich I learned how to deal

with the employers, and Ilearned a lot from Roy.”

“The Local 439 office wasnear Gemco, so I saw thoseguys all the time,” Waasdorp re-called. “Tom Sloan introduced meto Roy Sessions, Dale Harnackand others there. And whenPresident Jim Bird retired, theyneeded a union rep, and they of-fered me the job.”

During his years as a unionrepresentative, Waasdorp didhis best to prevent problemsfrom happening in the work-place. “I solved difficult griev-ances after the problemsexisted, but my philosophy wasan ounce of prevention is betterthan a pound of cure.”

Following the merger, Waas-dorp served UFCW Local 1167as a union representative and asthe grievance director, commu-nications director, and assistantto the president.

“A good union is like a goodsports team,” he said. “All theplayers work together as a unit.”

He continued: “What’s aunion? It’s all of us banding to-gether for a common cause,which is better wages, pensions,health care, working conditions,and more.”

Waasdorp said he was mostinfluenced by Roy Sessions,“because of the way he con-ducted himself — honest, fairand straightforward.”

Another influence wasWillie MacKewen. “He knewhow to talk to people,” Waas-dorp said. “Willie was heavilyinvolved with our Member As-sistance Program, which gavehim great patience when speak-ing to people facing the mostdifficult situations.”

As a former professional inthe “Meat Biz,” he creditsTom Sloan and Larry Nicholson

for teaching him the craft andTom for bringing him closer tothe union.

He always loved to use newtechnology. Waasdorp essen-tially brought the communica-tions program at Local 1167 toa new level.

Waasdorp also was the firstrep to take his computer fromhome and use it in the office.

He introduced a computerapp with push notifications formessages and contact informa-tion to take the place of all thosenotes.

“The reps used to take theirphone calls and messaged withpaper notes,” he remembered.

“On each desk was a spike,six or eight inches high, andafter each phone call was returned, the paper would bestabbed on the spike, so it cre-ated a stack. If you needed aphone number or notes from aconversation, you had to gosearching through that stack.”

“I wanted to keep people en-gaged,” he said. “From ourwebsite to Facebook to Insta-gram and Twitter, the modes ofcommunication keep changing.It’s inevitable. We have to finda way to use whatever technol-ogy is out there and keep it per-sonal.”

He was the first union rep tohave a cell phone, as well.

“I was so sick of using thepayphones out in Victorville at110 degrees,” he said. “Theywere all so filled with sweat anddisgusting. I was getting sick allthe time. So, when they finallydropped in price, I got a mobilephone. It made things so muchmore efficient!”

On the front linesWaasdorp walked on picket

lines during many strikes as amember and as a union repre-sentative.

“As a member during the1985 meat cutter strike, I wasthe area captain,” he said. “Wewere out for eight or nineweeks. Then came the 141-day

strike and lockout in 2003-2004, when I was a rep.

“We’ve gone through toughtimes, but we’ve prevailed.”

To build solidarity andstrength in the union, Waasdorpdeveloped Local 1167’s firststewards conference and ran theannual production in the yearsthat followed.

He also developed theLocal 1167 website and initi-ated the idea of iPads for theunion reps to use.

The new-member meetingpacket and presentation that hedesigned are used to this day.

The union has come a longway since Pete Waasdorp wasfirst asked to work for Local439. He is the last remainingformer Local 439 businessagent — as they called unionrepresentatives back then —and he and Secretary-TreasurerMatt Bruno are the only twoformer Executive Board mem-bers from Local 439 still around(Alan Kontra also was a mem-ber of Local 439).

Now that he is saying adiosto his active union service,Waasdorp has confidence thatLocal 1167 will carry on with-out his constant presence.

“The members are in greatshape with Joe Duffle at thehelm,” he said, “and the localunion will continue to be strongin the future.”

A GOOD UNION

IS LIKE A GOOD

SPORTS TEAM...ALL THE PLAYERS

WORK TOGETHER

AS A UNIT.

14 DESERT EDGE

Editorial

T he Trump Administration’s waron unions is continuing. Morethan that, it is accelerating withunprecedented velocity.

The president’s nomination of anti-union lawyer Eugene Scalia, son of thelate Supreme Court Justice AntoninScalia, as the new secretary of Labor, isjust the latest outrage committed by anadministration set on remaking theLabor Department — which was createdto protect the rights of working people— into an “Anti-Labor Department”dedicated to taking those rights away.

In July, for example, a NationalLabor Relations Board stocked withTrump appointees decided to overturnprecedents by making it easier for em-ployers to get rid of their unions.

According to Bloomberg Law’sLabor Report, the board ruled an em-ployer may stop negotiations before theend of a collective bargaining agree-ment and then expel the union when thecontract expires, simply by claiming theunion doesn’t have majority support ofits members. In response, a union has45 days to file for a new election amongthe membership to prove the employerwrong.

“An employer that makes such an‘anticipatory withdrawal’ can’t be hitwith an unfair labor practice chargechallenging whether the union reallylacked majority support when the con-tract ended,” Bloomberg reports.

This outrageous action by the NLRBwas taken without advance notice toanyone. No opportunity was given to

the public for comment. The lack of due process might mean

the ruling gets overturned in the courts.Then again, it might not — who knowswhat will happen with all these anti-union, Trump-appointed judges gettinglifetime terms of office?

Unfortunately, this is the latest in a

long series of injustices foisted onAmerica’s workers by this administra-tion. Here are a few of them that werelisted by The New York Times:

• During the 2016 presidential cam-paign, Trump declared he supported a$10 federal minimum hourly wage. Butsince he’s been in office the federalminimum wage remains stuck at $7.25an hour and he has done nothing to ad-vocate an increase. Instead, he pushedthrough a massive tax cut that benefitsthe wealthiest individuals and corpora-tions at the expense of working people.

• In April of this year, Trump’s LaborDepartment ruled that workers for acleaning company were contractors in-stead of employees. As a result, theseworkers and many others won’t get paida minimum wage and they have to payall of their Social Security taxes without

any help from their employer.• The administration reversed Presi-

dent Obama’s order to expand eligibil-ity for overtime pay.

• Trump’s Labor Department lets em-ployers report their own violations offederal wage laws and avoid penaltiesby voluntarily paying workers thewages they are owed. This practicallydefines “toothless law enforcement.”

• The Trump Administration wants toeliminate rules prohibiting discrimina-tion based on sexual orientation. In fact,he banned transsexuals from the U.S.Armed Services in an entirely arbitrarydecision against the advice of militaryleaders.

• Trump supported the SupremeCourt’s Janus decision, which is in-tended to cripple public-sector unionsfrom coast to coast.

• His NLRB is fighting against theaspirations of “gig” workers who wantto be classified as employees instead ofindependent contractors. Trump also at-tacks fast-food and home-care workerswho wish to be represented by unions.

• The White House is cutting back onOSHA inspections and rolling back reg-ulations on safety, putting workers’lives at risk.

• Trump is trying to punish Californiafor its defiance on many issues bypulling federal funds from the state’shigh-speed rail project. Thousands ofjobs will be lost if he is successful.

These are just a few examples of theTrump Administration’s assault on

Confronting the assault on workers’ rights

By JOE DUFFLE President, UFCW Local 1167

Continued on next page

Labor will not, must notsupport any candidate or

politician, regardless of party,who threatens working families andtheir ability to earn a livable wage!

working Americans. Apparently, if aperson isn’t rich enough to golf withhim at his Mar-a-Lago Club, that indi-vidual isn’t worth the president’s timeor concern.

In the meantime, the AmericanLabor Movement refuses to backdown. Through activism and solidarity,we will fight back and win the day!

Some members ask why we supportDemocrats over Republicans. That isnot always the case and we have sup-ported Republican candidates andelected them currently and in the past.We will continue to do so as long asthey understand and respect workingmen and women.

Labor will not, must not support anycandidate or politician, regardless ofparty, who threatens working familiesand their ability to earn a livable wage!

The only issues we weigh in on arethose that affect our ability as a unionto protect our members’ wages, bene-fits, pensions and working conditions.

H aving written two ar-ticles about the dan-gers of social mediain the past, I feel a

third has become necessary.Social media has morphed

over the years as it has be-come a part of everyday life.We have discussed the bene-fits of social media in keep-ing in touch with family andfriends to the dangers ofposts that an employer canuse to terminate an associateif they damage the companyin some way.

Recently, a new twist hascome to our use of socialmedia.

During the last round ofsupermarket negotiations, theSouthern California localsused social media not only tokeep their members updated,

but also to address the publicon our issues in a way thathas never been done before.

The reach of social mediafar outweighs the normalchannels in which our unionhas used to communicate inthe past, and the results ofour efforts during negotia-tions were extraordinary.

However, the same socialmedia we used to our advan-tage also played a part in ex-tending the process. The

companies that our memberswork for have delegated,sometimes hired, individualsto scan their associates’ so-cial media pages.

They found that manyunion members postedderogatory comments re-garding negotiations, oftengiving the companies anupper hand and giving rea-sons for the companies toNOT give us a fair contract.

Here’s the point: Socialmedia is a double-edgedsword.

Your union is going to usesocial media to better informour members and create ad-vantages where they can becreated. However, you, asunion members, need notjeopardize those positions byusing social media in a way

that undermines those ef-forts.

Be aware of the commentsyou make on social media inrelation to your job.

Your job, and your liveli-hood, may depend on it.

15Winter 2019

Social Media, Act 3: A double-edged sword

Union Rep ReportDavid Simmering

David Simmering

$11,646.97 $70,362.19

212

916

$4,320

91

349

Editorial: Confronting the assault on workers’ rightsContinued from previous page

Be aware of thecomments you makeon social media in

relation to your job.

16 DESERT EDGE

Members at Work: Food 4 Less 786, Colton

17Winter 2019

Christy QuintanillaMembership Department

C hristy Quintanilla joined Local 1167’s Membership Department inMarch after working almost 30 years in the supermarket industry, andshe’s been applying the knowledge she gained in those years to helpunion members to the best of her ability.

“During my time in the stores, I learned the membership is like a family,”said Quintanilla, who worked at Ralphs 717 in Rancho Cucamonga as a scancoordinator. In addition, she has worked as a courtesy clerk, as a grocery clerkand as a member in the meat and seafood departments.

With her father in the Teamsters and her mother in the UFCW as an employeeof Alpha Beta, Quintanilla grew up with a strong awareness of the value in work-ing union.

“Early on, they pushed me to find a union job,” she said of her parents. “Iwas working for Round Table Pizza and then a position opened up at Alpha Betain 1989, and I jumped on it.”

At age 17, she attended her first union meeting. “My dad made sure I did!”she recalled.

She credits the union for helping her provide a stable home where she wasable to raise her two sons, Zac and Jake.

“Now I’m looking forward to working to help the membership,” she said. “I’m so proud to represent Local 1167.”

Cisco MaganaMembership Department

A s one of the younger members of Local 1167’s staff, Cisco Magana iswell-suited to assist union members who are starting out on their careerpaths.

He joined the union’s Membership Department on June 3 after work-ing six years as a cashier and produce clerk for Stater Bros.

“I was hired by Stater Bros. right out of high school,” he said. “The store wasright down the street from my house and it seemed like a good first job. I wasright!”

Now he’s proud to be working for the union that represented him in the store. “We have a good support team at Local 1167,” Magana said, “and I’m proud

to be part of it, helping members with their questions about their benefits.”“I like the vibe here at the office,” he added. “We’re all working to benefit

the membership, and the other members of the team have been amazing as Ilearn more about the union every day.”

Around UFCW Local 1167

If you have problems with: Alcohol,drugs, children & adolescents, family,emotional issues, gambling, marriageand/or financial/legal.

Eligible active or retired members cancall the toll-free MAP number at theHealth Management Center any time, day

or night, 24 hours a day, seven days aweek. All calls are confidential.

Food Divisioncall (800) 461-9179

Drug Divisioncall (866) 268-2510

Here to help

‘I’m so proud torepresent Local 1167.’

18 DESERT EDGE

Industry News

A fter more than 47years of service toStater Bros. Mar-kets, the company’s

president, George Frahm,retired on Oct. 31.

Industry veteran GregMcNiff will succeed Frahmat the helm of Stater Bros.,a Southern California chainof supermarkets with a his-tory of cooperation withUFCW local Unions in theregion.

As president, Frahmcontinued the legacy of hislate predecessor, longtime CEO and president Jack Brown,who steered the company clear of labor disputes, includingthe 2003-2004 supermarket strike and lockouts in South-ern California.

“George Frahm has been a role model for any corporateexecutive who truly cares about his company’s workers,”UFCW Local 1167 President Joe Duffle said. “Georgealso understands how a happy work force can generateloyal and productive employees who are proud of theircompany.”

Frahm’s career with Stater Bros. Markets began in 1973at the company’s Glendora location as a clerk’s helper andjanitor. He progressed through a range of roles, includingvice president of labor relations, executive vice presidentof retail operations and administration, and executive vicepresident of administration and distribution, before beingnamed president.

Stater Bros. was founded in 1936 in Yucaipa, Calif., andhas grown steadily through the years to become the largestprivately-owned supermarket chain in Southern Californiaand the largest private employer in both San BernardinoCounty and Riverside County. The company operates 172supermarkets with approximately 17,000 employees.

Stater Bros. presidentGeorge Frahm retires

UNION YES!

Congratulations to ourTrust Fund Scholarship Winners!

Student

Michael GallegosTeagan HamelAndrej ProkolabKarime RangelCarson Caron-SabalaDeianira GriffithMiles LabradorNathan Lecount-GuajardoTessa MilwardAdrian RamosJoseph ArriagaAntonie AureJordan BatchelorEllie BurkeAriana CarrilloCorrin CassidyTevan ChaiyakumXaria DanielsCeleste DelaoJesse DelaoBrock EskildsenSidney EskildsenRyan FletesJulia GarfieldMikaylah HaddadinKatelin HolcombeGabrielle HooperChristian LabradorBethany LinaresGiovanna MorenoAbigail MurilloSamantha MurphyJade OhnemusNolan OhnemusRachel OrtegaTaylor PadillaEvan PalacioRyan PalacioJoshua PayneKylee SanchezRachel SchellinJoshua ShamblinElizabeth SharouHailey ShippNicholas TroliJacqueline UpsonAlyssa ValdezDiego ValleAndrea VasquezJoshua Waghorn

Participant and Company

Rebecca Gallegos, Stater Bros.Douglas Hamel, VonsIvona Prokolab, RalphsAntonio Rangel, AlbertsonsPatricia Caron, RalphsKimberly Griffith, Stater Bros.Shirley Labrador, AlbertsonsNathan Lecount-Guajardo, Stater Bros.Luis Milward, VonsJennifer Nunez, Stater Bros.Joseph Arriaga, RalphsAntonieta Rodriguez-Aure, UFCW Local 1167Jordan Batchelor, RalphsKenny Burke, VonsJuan Carrillo, Stater Bros.Kari Cassidy, AlbertsonsTevan Chaiyakum, RalphsAleka Daniels, RalphsJose Delao, Stater Bros.Jose Delao, Stater Bros.Karen Eskildsen, Stater Bros.Karen Eskildsen, Stater Bros.Juan Fletes, AlbertsonsJennifer Garfield, Stater Bros.Elizabeth Haddadin, RalphsRonald Holcombe, VonsGabrielle Hooper, Stater Bros.Shirley Labrador, AlbertsonsNidia Linares, AlbertsonsLeticia Moreno, Stater Bros.Maria Cortez, AlbertsonsReina Murphy, RalphsJohn Ohnemus, VonsJohn Ohnemus, VonsJuan Ortega, RalphsNicole Padilla, Stater Bros.Lisa Woo-Palacio, VonsLisa Woo-Palacio, VonsGreta Payne, AlbertsonsDavid Sanchez, Stater Bros.Jennifer Schellin, RalphsJeffrey Shamblin, Stater Bros.Janette Mcintosh, RalphsAaron Fulkerson, Stater Bros.Nicholas Troli, Stater Bros.Lesley Upson, Stater Bros.Omar Valdez, Stater Bros.Rosalinda Valle, Stater Bros.Julie Vasquez, Stater Bros.Richard Waghorn, Ralphs

Amount

$10,000$10,000$10,000$10,000

$5,000$5,000$5,000$5,000$5,000$5,000$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500$2,500

Y our union has negoti-ated a contract withyour company thatincludes guarantees

of job security and goodworking conditions. How-ever, financial compensationis probably the most impor-tant element because it sup-

ports your lifestyle. There are many financial

benefits to having a unioncontract, but unless you havea working knowledge ofwhat you are entitled to, youmay not be receiving fullcompensation for the hardwork you do.

Here are some examples:Combo — Courtesy clerks

working in a higher classifi-cation (for instance, at thecheck stand or in the meat,bakery or service deli depart-ments): Are you markingdown your time when youcombo? Did you know youmay receive a higher hourlyrate of pay and will receivecredit in the higher classifi-cation when you get pro-moted? Each company has aprocedure in place for pay-ment. Inquire with manage-ment for procedures to bepaid properly.

Crossover — GMCs work-ing as food clerks: Did youknow you are entitled foodclerk wages and receivecredited hours in the higherclassification once promoted?Did you know if you performfood clerk work for five min-utes you are entitled to twohours of food clerk pay, andthereafter any portion of anhour paid for a full hour?

Overtime pay — Your con-tract has language statingyou are to be paid overtimewhen you’ve worked morethan eight hours, worked sixdays in a work week or arenot scheduled more than 10hours between shifts.

Jury duty pay — Did youknow if you are called to

jury duty you are entitledto be paid?

Minimum hour guarantee— Did you know that yourcontract guarantees a mini-mum number of hours eachweek?

All of these are benefits,and more, are included inyour contract. Your unionrepresentative audits yourschedules regularly to lookfor violations. However, theycannot find everything. Yourrepresentative depends onyou to communicate anycontract violations that maybe happening.

If you believe your con-tract is not being adhered to,please contact your unionrepresentative immediately.

19Winter 2019

Union Rep ReportCarmen Paz

E ach year, UFCW Local 1167 offers its membersand their families opportunities to relieve the fi-nancial hardships of a higher education throughscholarship programs offered by the union’s ben-

efits trust fund and the UFCW International Union. Thescholarships are offered in addition to the union’s ownawards program, which will be announced in the springissue of the Desert Edge.

UFCW Local 1167 believes everyone is entitled to aquality education, which is the key to success in life. Thatis why the union encourages members to consider par-ticipating in one of the following scholarship programs:• UFCW and Food Employers Benefit Funds — The Schol-arship Award Program, sponsored by the Employer andUnion Trustees of the UFCW and Food Employers Ben-efit Funds, is one of the best offered to union membersanywhere. The deadline for Scholarship Award applica-tions is Feb. 28, 2020.Applications must be postmarkedby this date. All members should receive an applicationin the mail. If you do not receive one, call your union orthe Trust Fund office at (714) 220-2297 or (562) 408-2715, or visit scufcwfunds.com for details.• UFCW International Union Scholarship — Each year, theUFCW International Union awards several scholarshipsto UFCW members or their dependents. The UFCW usu-ally begins accepting applications in January and contin-ues to accept applications through the first quarter of2020. Visit www.ufcw.org/scholarship or email scholar-ship@ufcw.org for details.

A wide range of scholarships available through your union

Carmen Paz

Know your contract: Are you paid correctly?

CORRECT ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER A MUST!You lose out if there is no correct address and telephone number on file for you.We know the problem: People move frequently. But it only takes a phone call, aminute with the Union Rep or a letter to our office. It could avoid a big problemwith a hospital, medical claim or pension inquiry.

Return in 5 days to:United Food and Commercial WorkersUnion Local 1167P.O. Box 1167Bloomington, CA 92316

Return Service Requested

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDSAN BERNARDINO, CA

PERMIT NO. 2285

Members at Work: Food 4 Less 303, Rialto