dialogue oct 2010

www.ufcw1776.org

UNITED FOOD AND COMMERCIAL WORKERS

Vol. 33, Number 3 – October 2010

If we vote, we WIN!q4

– Joe Sestakfor Senate

– Dan Onoratofor Governor

October 2010

PresidentWendell W. Young, IV

Secretary-TreasurerMichele Kessler

RecorderBarbara Johnson

Main Office:3031-A Walton Rd., Suite 201Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

610-940-1776 (toll-free: 1-866-329-1776)

Northeast PA Office:2007 Highway 315Pittston, PA 18640

570-655-6886 (toll-free 1-800-635-6994)

Central PA Office:3161 Chambersburg Rd.

Biglerville, PA 17307717-334-0064 (toll-free 1- 800-332-9421)

Communications Office:William Epstein, Director

610-940-1812 (toll-free: 1-866-329-1776, x-812)

UFCW Local 1776 and ParticipatingEmployers

Health & Welfare Fund:3031-B Walton Rd.

Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-2344610-941-9400 (toll-free:1-800-458-8618)

UFCW Local 1776 and Participating Employers Pension Fund:

3031-B Walton Rd.Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-2344

610-941-9400 (toll-free:1-800-458-8618)

UFCW Union and ParticipatingFood Industry EmployersTri-State Pension Fund:

3031-B Walton Rd.Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-2344

610-941-4282 (toll-free: 1-866-928-8329)

United Food & Commercial Workers Local 17763031-A Walton Rd., Suite 201 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

Visit us on the web: www.ufcw1776.org

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Printed on recycled paper.

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John Rorick Scores Holein One in Members’ Outing

Local 1776 President Wendell W.Young, IV presents a custom-madehole-in-one momento to memberJohn Rorick. The long-time Acmemember tallied his big hit at theannual outing for SoutheastPennsylvania members at theMainland Golf Course, nearLandsdale. The prize was designedand produced by Schott Glassmember Ron Warunek, Sr.

LL ocal 1776 mem-ber John Rorickscored a first in

the history of the Union’sgolf tournaments – a holein one!

Playing in the annualSoutheast Pennsylvaniamember’s outing, Johnaced the par 3 17th hole atthe Mainland Golf Course,just outside of Lansdale, PA.He said it was the first hole-in-one he had struck in hismany years of playing.

John, a Norristown, PAresident who is a memberof the Local 1776 PoliticalAction Committee, hasbeen with Acme since1975. He works in thecompany’s Trooper store.

To mark the occasion,the Local commissionedSchott Glass member RonWaruneke, Sr., of Avoca, PA,to design and craft a crystalmomento of the event.

Daughter of 1776 Citterio MemberWins UFCW International Scholarship

FF or the second year in a row, Local 1776 has beena big winner in the International UFCW’s annualcollege scholarship competition.

Alicia Nelson, 21, of Freeland, PA, daughter of CitterioUSA member Mark Nelson, has won a scholarship toward hertuition at Albright College in Reading, PA. Mark has workedfor 23 years at Citterio – producer of quality Italian meats –and Alicia is a 2007 graduate of Bishop Hafey High School.

Alicia is in her senior year at Albright, majoring inelementary education with a minor in special education.

Scholarshipwinner AliciaNelson and herfather, MarkNelson. Mark isa long-time 1776 member at Citterio USA.

PPresident Obama best describes the November2nd election. It’s our choice, he says. Wecan go forward, or we can go backward:

• We can build on the progress that hisadministration has achieved in its short timein office.

• Or we can return the government to the samepeople who created the worst economicdownturn in our lifetime – people who wantto eliminate Social Security, overturn healthcare reform and protect Wall Street profitsmore than working men and women.

It’s easy to understand the impatience that manyfeel with the way things work in Washington. Aclear majority of Americans voted for Barack Obamaand Joe Biden because they want change, and theywant it now. They’re concerned that we have yet tocreate enough jobs to replace the more than eightmillion jobs we lost thanks to the policies of DickCheney and his assistant, George Bush.

But no matter how hard the U.S. Chamber ofCommerce tries to spin it, the fact is that BarackObama faced a national and world-wide economicdisaster when he took office in January 2009.

We were on the brink of a second GreatDepression. Eight years of

Republican rule hadturned a record budgetsurplus into a recordbudget deficit! WhenGeorge Bush tookoffice in 2001 we hada $250 billion surplus.When he turned thejob over to BarackObama, he handed hima $1.5 trillion deficit!

Jobs were disappearing in mass numbers.

The housing and banking markets werecollapsing. State budgets were in shambles.And things were going to get only worseunless the federal government acted boldly.

Even Dick Cheney, in the fall of 2008,pleaded with fellow Republicans in theSenate to act boldly and pass a stimulus plan.

Now, Republican fearmongers want us to believethat the Obama administration and Congress over-reacted. The truth is that the economy was spiralingout of control. We had to act.

Other spinmeisters want us to believe that theObama administration and Congress didn’t doenough. But they should take that up with theParty of No and those few misguided Democratswho help it block further progress.

How about the venomous Republican Senatorswho within days of Barack Obama’s inaugurationproudly declared that they sought only to inflictpolitical damage on the President? They want toreverse the results of the 2008 election, and theyhave resorted to a record number of filibusterthreats to block the President’s agenda.

I find especially frustrating the people who saywe shouldn’t go deeper into debt to get oureconomy moving again. Where were these peoplewhen the Bush Administration was running twowars and giving huge tax breaks to millionaires andbillionaires “off budget” so they wouldn’t have tobe responsible for the borrowing they had to do tofund their policies?

Today, businesses aren’t spending enough tostimulate the economy. State and local governmentsare struggling and don’t have the resources to digour nation out of the depths of this recession.

Only the federal government has the weight tounderwrite the investments that we need to build afuture for ourselves and our children.

Wendell W. Young, IV

(continued on page 4)

By Wendell W. Young, IV, President

On November 2nd, It’s Our Choice!

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How did we get out of the Great Depression?By borrowing. By investing in the future. Even themost conservative critics of the President borrowmoney to finance their homes and cars for theirfamilies. Are they ready to give up their mortgagesand car loans?

TTo those who are critical of the Obamarecord to date, I ask which of the followingdo they want to give back?

• The federal funds that have helped create morejobs in the last 20 months than the BushAdministration created in its entire eight years?

• Federal money that has saved police, firefighterand teacher jobs?

• Health care reform that will protect ourfamilies and slow down the increase in thecost of insurance?

(Continued from page 3)

• A tax policy that helps working men andwomen, instead of favoring millionaires andbillionaires who don’t need tax breaks?

• Equal pay for equal work?

• Greater access to student loans and millionsin savings to make college more affordable tostudents and their families?

• An open, honest discussion of what we’redoing in Iraq and Afghanistan and how we’refunding those wars, and a resumption ofpeace talks in the Middle East?

• The most sweeping reform of Wall Streetsince the Great Depression?

True, we have a long way to go on the road toeconomic recovery. But the way to reach that goalis to go forward, not backward. As President

UFCW International President Joe Hansen (left) in Washington, DC with 1776 President Wendell W.Young, IV and U.S. Rep. Joe Sestak, Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate.4

(Continued on page 5)

Obama describes it,he took office andfound that the carwas in a ditch. Heand Congress havepulled the car out ofthe ditch. But theRepublicans wantthe keys back, andthey want themback without asingle new idea.Why would wegive the keys backto the same guys who drove the car into the ditchin the first place?

If we don’t take the November 2nd electionseriously, we’ll wake up the next day and find newpeople in charge – people who want to privatizeSocial Security, destroy the labor movement andrestrict women’s rights.

These are the same people who want to repealWall Street reform, who apologized to BP whenPresident Obama proposed that BP pay for the Gulfspill, and who want to borrow more money andsaddle our kids with more debt just so wealthypeople can get more tax breaks! They’re the samepeople who use corporate funds – withoutdisclosing their donors – to run multi-millionadvertising campaigns against candidates whosupport working families.

That’s why your Executive Board enthusiasticallyhas endorsed Joe Sestak for the U.S. Senate and DanOnorato for Governor of Pennsylvania, and is proudto recommend them to our Pennsylvania membersfor their vote on November 2nd.

They’ll move us forward. They’ll make a winningteam that cares about working families. They’llrepresent us in Washington and Harrisburg – not thehighly-financed corporate special interests.

Joe Sestak: The Truth aboutToomey’s Health Care Smear

The attack on Joe Sestak for his vote for health carereform is typical of the pandering gutter tactics of hisopponent, former Wall Street executive Pat Toomey.

One Toomey ad features a doctor from DelawareCounty who says that medicine should be between

a patient and his or her doctor. So what else isnew, Doc? Then, this doctor says that shetried to meet with Sestak to talk about healthcare reform.

What she doesn’t say is that she missedthree opportunities to have that discussion.And she doesn’t say that Joe Sestak’s office isopen seven days a week. Any constituent canwalk in and be heard. So how hard did she“try” to get an appointment?

If Dr. Delaware County had shown up atSestak’s office, she might have learned thatthe historic health care reform already ismaking life better for all Americans:

• Insurance companies can’t deny coverage tochildren because of pre-existing healthconditions. Soon, this will cover adults, too.

• Insurance companies can’t drop coverage forpeople who become sick.

• Children will have to be covered by theirparents’ policies until they are 26 years old;

• Limits on annual and lifetime coverage havebeen eliminated.

• Insurance companies must cover checkupsand preventive treatments – steps that willmake everyone healthier and control costs.

• Senior citizens who fall into the so-called“donut hole” gap in Medicare’s prescriptiondrug program have received a $250 paymentto begin to close that gap.

• And the reform slows the relentless rise inhealth care costs and expands coverage for 32million Americans.

Toomey’s slimy ad has been widely condemnedby the news media as misleading. It’s a sample of thebarrage of $6 million in television advertising thatToomey unleashed against Sestak during the summermonths – most of it attack, attack and attack.

Joe Sestak had a distinguished 31-year career inthe U.S. Navy. He’s provided outstanding leadership asa Congressman on the issues that matter the most toworking families. The only thing Pat Toomey has led isthe Club for Growth, a radical right-wing Wall Streetoperation aimed at purging the Republican Party of its


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(Continued on page 6)

Starting on Page 7,check out the full listof Local 1776endorsements for theU.S. Congress andthe PennsylvaniaSenate and House ofRepresentatives. It’sthe same story. If wevote, we win!

last voices of moderation. Before that Toomey workedon Wall Street selling derivatives and other deregulatedgimmicks that helped create the financial mess we’rein. He helped ship American manufacturing jobs toChina. He says that corporations shouldn’t pay taxes –and he thinks we should trust him as a U.S. Senator?

The good news is that in spite of Toomey’s liesand his advertising barrage, this race is a dead heatas we head to Nov. 2nd. If we turn out to vote forJoe Sestak, we win!

Dan Onorato –Best for Pennsylvania!

The further good news is that Democrats can beequally as proud of their candidate for Governor ofPennsylvania – Dan Onorato.

Perhaps he’s less well-known to those of us inLocal 1776 because his career has been in WesternPennsylvania – most recently in the elected post ofAllegheny County Executive. But Onorato willbring to Harrisburg a solid record running thestate’s second-largest county for the last six yearswithout raising property taxes. At the same time,he reformed the county’s government and led asuccessful job creation drive.

Onorato has run a successful campaign sincethe May primary election, raising the funds he’llneed to carry him through to November 2nd. He’sput forth a thoughtful plan of action to movePennsylvania forward, and has taken the time tovisit the Local 1776 office and to assure us of hiscommitment to a state government that representsworking men and women – including his supportfor the Pennsylvania Wine and Spirits Shops andthe role they play in protecting public health andsafety and the contribution they make to theCommonwealth’s budget.

Onorato’s opponent, on the other hand – TomCorbett – is widely viewed as not ready for prime time.

He showed a shocking disregard for our FirstAmendment rights when he used his state

NOV. 2ND

office to subpoena Twitter records fromindividuals who had criticized his work asAttorney General.

He showed a similar insensitivity to peoplewho are out of work when he said – morethan once – that unemployed Pennsylvaniansdon’t look for jobs because they’d rather getunemployment payments.

And he’s politicized his office in so manyways that leading newspapers have called for hisresignation.

The national Democratic Governors Association(DGA) has invested heavily in Dan Onorato’scampaign because it’s convinced that he’s a strong,effective candidate, that the Republicans have aweak, gaffe-prone candidate, and that we’re headingto November 2nd with a significant Democraticstate-wide registration and performance advantage.

The DGA – and Local 1776’s Executive Board –know that with Joe Sestak and Dan Onorato, if wevote we win!

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Know the Facts:

AApoll by CBS News and the NY Timesfound that 64 percent of Tea Partysupporters believe that President

Obama has increased taxes. In fact, he’s cutthem for 95 percent of all Americans.

Local 1776 Endorsements for Nov. 2nd

II n deciding on endorsements, Local 1776’s Executive Board considers a candidate’s voting recordand statements on issues of direct interest to the Union’s members – including health care, jobsand the economy, the Pennsylvania Wine and Spirits Shops, equal pay for equal work, workers’

compensation and fair tax and budget policies.Every vote counts on November 2, 2010. Please share this list with your family and friends, and

help elect candidates who care about working families.

Joe Sestak (D)U.S. Senate, PA

Paul Kanjorski (D)U.S. House

Chaka Fattah (D)U.S. House

Manan Trivedi (D)U.S. House

Allyson Schwartz (D)U.S. House

Dan Onorato (D)Governor of PA

Scott Conklin (D)Lt. Governor, PAq4 q4 q4 q4

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Phyllis Mundy (D) PA State House

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Tina Tartaglione (D)PA State Senate

John Rafferty (R)PA State Senate

Steward Greenleaf (R)PA State Senate

CedarbrookMembers Kick Off

Campaign WithDan Onorato atRally in Easton

CCedarbrook members Ron Leikel (left) andBetty Krause (right), both members of theLocal 1776 Political Action Committee, join

Democratic candidate for Governor Dan Onorato at arally to launch the 2010 campaign in Easton, PA.Also taking part was Democratic candidate for theU.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 15thDistrict, Dan Callahan.

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U.S. CONGRESS

1 Robert Brady (D)

2 Chaka Fattah (D)

6 Manan Trivedi (D)

7 Bryan Lentz (D)

8 Patrick J. Murphy (D)

9 Tom Conners (D)

10 Christopher Carney (D)

11 Paul Kanjorski (D)

12 Mark Critz (D)

13 Allyson Schwartz (D)

15 John Callahan (D)

16 Lois Herr (D)

17 No endorsement

47 Eric Wolfgang (D)

53 Robert Godshall (R)

61 Mary Lou Readinger (D)

68 Matthew Baker (R)

70 Matt Bradford (D)

71 Bryan Barbin (D)

72 Frank Burns (D)

73 Gary Haluska (D)

74 Camille George (D)

76 Mike Hanna (D)

77 Scott Conklin (D)

79 No endorsement

80 No endorsement

81 No endorsement

82 No endorsement

83 Rick Mirabito (D)

84 No endorsement

85 No endorsement

86 No endorsement

87 Angela West (D)

88 No endorsement

89 No endorsement

90 No endorsement

91 No endorsement


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Gene Digirolamo (R)PA State House

John Taylor (R)PA State House

Jewell Williams (D)PA State House

Dwight Evans (D)PA State House

PENNSYLVANIA SENATE

2 Christine Tartaglione (D)

4 Leanna Washington (D)

6 Robert Tomlinson (R)

8 Anthony Hardy Williams (D)

10 Cynthia Philo (D)

12 Stewart Greenleaf (R)

14 John Yudichak (D)

16 Pat Browne (R)

18 Lisa Boscola (D)

20 Lisa Baker (R)

22 John Blake (D)

24 Bill Wallace (D)

26 Edwin Erickson (R)

44 John Rafferty (R)

48 Jo Ellen Litz (D)

PENNSYLVANIA HOUSEOF REPRESENTATIVES

13 Tom Houghton (D)

18 Gene Digirolamo (R)

26 Fern Kaufman (D)

31 Steve Santarsiero (D)

41 Gerald Policoff (D)

43 No endorsement

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Local 1776 Endorsements for Nov. 2ndPENNSYLVANIA HOUSEOF REPRESENTATIVES

92 No endorsement

93 Linda Small (D)

94 Metta Barbour (D)

95 Eugene Depasquale (D)

96 Mike Sturla (D)

97 Patrick O’Keeffe (D)

98 No endorsement

99 No endorsement

100 No endorsement

101 No endorsement

102 No endorsement

103 Ron Buxton (D)

104 No endorsement

105 No endorsement

106 John Payne (R)

107 George Zalar (D)

108 No endorsement

109 No endorsement

110 No endorsement

111 Jim Knapp (D)

112 Ken Smith (D)

113 Kevin Murphy (D)

114 Sid Michaels Kavulich (D)

115 Edward Staback (D)

116 Todd Eachus (D)

117 No endorsement

118 Mike Carroll (D)

119 No endorsement

120 Phyllis Mundy (D)

121 Eddie Day Pashinski (D)

122 No endorsement

123 Neal Goodman (D)

124 Jerry Knowles (R)

125 Tim Seip (D)

126 Dante Santoni (D)

(continued from page 9)

1776 Steps Up to HelpPocono Medical Workers

LLocal 1776 members stepped up insupport of members of SEIU Local1199 PA at the Pocono Medical

Center in East Stroudsburg, PA as theykicked off contract negotiations. Joining the1776 delegation was Pennsylvania StateRep. John J. Siptroth (D-Monroe and PikeCounties) and 1776 Union RepresentativesCathy Paninski and Chris Snyder.

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127 Thomas Caltagirone (D)

128 Bryan Boughter (D)

129 No endorsement

130 David Kessler (D)

131 Mike Horton (D)

132 Jennifer Mann (D)

133 Joseph Brennan (D)

134 Patrick Slattery (D)

135 Steve Samuelson (D)

136 Robert Freeman (D)

137 Charles Dertinger (D)

138 No endorsement

139 No endorsement

140 John Galloway (D)

141 Tina Davis (D)

142 No endorsement

143 Kathy McQuarrie (D)

144 Katharine Watson (R)

145 Mary Whitesell (D)

146 No endorsement

147 No endorsement

Northeast Leads at Kanjorski Kickoff

TT he Local 1776 Northeast Division team – members and staff – joined U.S. Rep. PaulKanjorski to launch the kickoff of his reelection campaign. From left are Michele Kessler,1776 Secretary-Treasurer and Director of the Local’s Northeast PA and Central PA

Divisions; Joey Alphabet, Charlie Francis, Tom McLean, Ken Warabak and Mike Kepich, all 1776members at Schott Glass USA; John Rusak, 1776 Lead Agent; Congressman Kanjorski; RichAston, of Schott; Mike Kepich’s wife, Anne; Don Nelson and Stanley Budzilek, of Schott; JohnChernesky, 1776 PA Wine and Spirits member; and Ken Karasek, 1776 Union Representative.McLean, Kepich and Chernesky are members of 1776’s Executive Board.


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148 Mike Gerber (D)

149 Tim Briggs (D)

150 Mike Vereb (R)

151 Rick Taylor (D)

152 Thomas Murt (R)

153 Josh Shapiro (D)

154 Lawrence Curry (D)

155 Barbara Bergeron (D)

156 Barbara McIlvaine Smith (D)

157 Paul Drucker (D)

158 Susan Rzucidlo (D)

159 Thaddeus Kirkland (D)

160 Stephen Barrar (R)

161 Walter Waite (D)

162 Nick Miccarelli (R)

163 Nicholas Micozzie (R)

164 Margo Davidson (D)

165 William Adolph Jr. (R)

166 Greg Vitali (D)

167 Bill Holmes (D)

168 Thomas Killion (R)

169 Dennis O’Brien (R)

170 Brendan Boyle (D)

171 No endorsement

172 John Perzel (R)

173 Mike McGeehan (D)

174 John Sabatina Jr. (D)

175 Michael O’Brien (D)

176 Mario Scavello (R)

177 John Taylor (R)

178 Scott Petr (R)

179 Tony Payton Jr. (D)

180 Angel Cruz (D)

181 Curtis Thomas (D)

182 Babette Josephs (D)

(continued from page 11)

Patrick Murphy and 1776Keynote Jobs Rally

UU.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-Bucks County and NE Phila.)and members of Local 1776

keynoted a rally for jobs in Center CityPhiladelphia. From left are SuperFreshmember Kass Reilly, Leslie Meyerson,Rep. Murphy, 1776 Director ofLegislative and Political Action JohnMeyerson and Pathmark memberDebbie Paladino.


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183 No endorsement

184 William Kelle (D)

185 Robert Donatucci (D)

186 Kenyatta Johnson (D)

187 No endorsement

188 James Roebuck (D)

189 John Siptroth (D)

190 Vanessa Brown (D)

191 Ronald Waters (D)

192 Louise Bishop (D)

193 Mike Strausbaugh (D)

194 Hugh Giordano (Green Party)

195 Michelle Brownlee (D)

196 Curtis Kann (D)

197 Jewell Williams (D)

NEW YORK STATE

FOR GOVERNOR:Andrew Cuomo (D)

FOR U.S SENATE(TWO TO BE ELECTED):

Charles E. Schumer (D)

Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D)

FOR U.S. HOUSE:

Maurice D. Hinchey (D-NY 22nd)

198 Rosita Youngblood (D)

199 No endorsement

200 Cherelle Parker (D)

201 John Myers (D)

202 Mark Cohen (D)

203 Dwight Evans (D)

Sen. Casey Helps LaunchLabor 2010 Campaign

UUU.S. Sen. Bob Casey met with Local 1776to help launch the Labor 2010 campaignleading up to Election Day, November 2.

Standing, from left, are John Werkheiser, 1776 ZoneCoordinator in the Lehigh Valley; Kevin Drew, ZoneCoordinator in suburban Philadelphia; Sen. Casey;1776 President Wendell W. Young, IV; and JohnMeyerson, Director of Legislation and Political Actionfor the Local. Seated, from left, are Cathy Paninski,Zone Coordinator for Northeast Pennsylvania; PeggyRhodes, Zone Coordinator for Central Pennsylvania;

and Liz McElroy, Labor 2010 State Coordinator for the AFL-CIO.

UU FCW Local 1776 is playing a leading role in the fightfor a fair and sustainable Pennsylvania budget – abudget not balanced on the backs of working families.

As a founding member of the Coalition for Labor Engagementand Accountable Revenues (CLEAR), the Local continues totake part in actions across the state to call for a series of steps,including those to ensure that big oil, big tobacco and big cor-porations pay their fair share of taxes:

• A fair tax on the Marcellus Shale drilling revenues;

• Closing the “Delaware loophole” that lets corporationsearn their profits in PA but avoid taxes by reportingthem in other low-tax states;

• Ending the tax provision that lets vendors keep onepercentage point of the sales taxes they collect; and,

• Taxing smokeless tobacco, making Pennsylvania one ofthe last states to tax this product.

1776 Leads Fight For a Fair State Budget

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At left, 1776 President Wendell W. Young, IV addresses aCLEAR rally in Harrisburg, laying out the agenda for alobbying day in the state capitol. Below, speaking at a CLEARrally in Media, PA in support of funding for education andsocial services are (from left) State Sen. Stewart J. Greenleaf(R-Bucks and Montgomery Counties); PENNaction DirectorMarc Stier; John Meyerson, Director of Legislation andPolitical Action for Local 1776; and State Sen. Edwin B.(Ted)Erickson (R-Chester and Delaware Counties.)

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Members OK New Contract at Wise Foods

LLocal 1776’s members at Wise Foods inBerwick, PA have ratified a new three-yearcontract with the company. Leading the

negotiations for the members were bargaining com-mittee members (from left) Chris Fish, of Berwick;Cathy Paninski, 1776 Union Representative; ScottSitler, of Berwick; John Werkheiser, 1776 Union

Negotiator; Michele Kessler, Secretary-Treasurer ofthe Local and Director of its Northeast and CentralPennsylvania Divisions; Mary Ellen Jones, ofBerwick; Eugene Caporaletti, of Nescopek; and Jim Cooper, of Berwick. Not pictured are committee members Fred Thomas and Barb Odell,both of Berwick.

ACME’s Paul LudwigWins PAC Drawing

WWinning Local 1776’s ABCPolitical Action Committee(PAC) raffle for a new IPod

Touch was Acme member Paul Ludwig,of Upper Darby, PA. Paul handlesreceiving in Acme’s Wayne, PA store,where he is a long-time 1776 memberand member of the Local’s PAC.

A second IPod was won by PACmember Don Marcellino, at the Acmestore in Lansdale, and a package ofPhillies tickets was won by PACmember Bob Paczewski, at theChestnut Hill Pathmark.

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Shop Stewards Are KeyTo Organizing Victory in Chester

By Len PurnellLocal 1776 Union Representative

FF or at least two Local 1776 Shop Stewards,the summer of 2010 meant more thanenjoying fun in the sun.

Jerome “Moon” Belo and Jermaine James, bothlong-time Stewards at the Wells Fargo Center (formerlyknown as the Wachovia Center), played a key role inthe Union’s most recent organizing victory. The wincame at the new PPL Park Stadium, in Chester, PA –home of the Philadelphia Union men’s professionalsoccer team, which made its debut this year.

Belo and James joined Local 1776 UnionRepresentative Ervin Cofield and myself inintroducing Local 1776 to the approximately 120housekeeping and event workers at the new stadium.

The employer of these 120 workers at PPL Parkhappens to be the same employer – Global Spectrum –for our approximately 500 Local 1776 housekeepingand event members who work at the Citizens Bank BallPark and the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphiaand at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.

After several discussions with the early PPL Parkemployees in the months leading up to the openingof the new stadium, the four of us showed up on avery hot and humid opening day in late June to begintalking with the full roster of the facility’s workers.Nearly every worker with whom we spoke was veryenthusiastic about forming a union to improve theirwages, benefits, and working conditions. Especiallyhelpful was that the workers very much appreciatedthe fact that both of our stewards cared enough to bepresent and remain engaged in the numerousworker-to-worker conversations.

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PPL Park in Chester, PA is home to the Philadelphia Union major league soccer team – and a newly organizedshop for Local 1776. From left are Joseph Walker, Wells Fargo Center shop steward Jermaine Jones, ArtriceParamore, Dwayne Briscoe, 1776 Union Representative Len Purnell and Jamir Stinney. At top is Scott Green.

In the days that followed these conversations weresubstantive, and usually dealt with how Belo and Jameswanted to use their experience to help their non-unioncounterparts who work in the same industry achievemore at the bargaining table as they have already asmembers of Local 1776 for many years.

After many hot days and long nights, on August27th Global Spectrum agreed to recognize Local1776 for the purposes of collective bargaining aswas requested by a majority of the housekeepingand event employees at PPL Park. As Local 1776begins contract negotiations for this newlyorganized unit, all of us at Local 1776 extend a large“thank you” to Shop Stewards Jermaine James andJerome “Moon” Belo for all of their help. Theirassistance played a key role in the success of thislatest organizing victory for workers – and this is yetanother example of how much stronger, moreeffective, and more successful our Union is whenour members get involved in the Union’s work.

Union Wins Reinstatement and Full BackPay For Cedarbrook’s Mary Ann Boone

AA t UFCW Local 1776 we’re fortunate tohave hundreds of dedicated men andwomen who serve all of our members by

performing the essential job of being a Shop Stewardin our many hundreds of work places.

One such person has not only dedicated her timeand energy to helping to represent members at theCedarbrook Lehigh County Nursing Facility, but alsohad the courage and drive to help in our hard-foughtcampaign to organize the workplace several years ago.

For those who regularly follow our Dialogue andare involved in Union activities, you know howdifficult it is to organize workers in our countrytoday. At Cedarbrook, in spite of this difficulty,Mary Ann and many of her co-workers dedicatedthemselves to the effort. In 2007, working with thestaff of Local 1776, they were able to do what hadbeen tried unsuccessfully many times before – toorganize Cedarbrook’s nearly 600 workers.

They faced the fears that many workers do in anorganizing campaign – the strongest of which is fearof an economic disaster if the union can’t protect itsprospective members should they lose their jobsbecause they have tried to organize. But theyovercame that fear, and won!

One year later, Mary Ann, however – a 22-yearveteran at Cedarbrook – was terminated for anaction that the Union felt was totally unjust.

The County disagreed, and decided to fight toenforce Mary Ann’s termination in any legal mannerit could. This consumed her, through the worker’scompensation process, the unemployment process

By Ed ChewAssistant to the President/Legal Director

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and eventually the arbitration process. After manymonths of no income, no job and no benefits, theLocal finally was able to help Mary Ann get herunemployment compensation started. The countyappealed even this decision!

Finally the arbitration date arrived. With thetestimony of Mary Ann and many of her co-workers who put themselves on the line bytestifying on her behalf, the Union was able toprove that Mary Ann was unjustly terminated. Thearbitrator gave Mary Ann and Local 1776 acomplete victory. Mary Ann not only was orderedback to her job, but she was also awarded full backpay, benefits and seniority as though she had neverleft! While this did not take away the pain andstress of an unjust termination, especially themany months of financial strain, it did bring MaryAnn complete vindication.

The Union tried for months to get County officials

to agree to bring Mary Ann back to work. We pointedout the fallacy of their case, yet the County would notbudge. County officials told us that they had never lostan arbitration in all of their years of defending againstthem, unless they wanted to lose. But we wereconfident of our case, and felt that they were no longergoing to be able to boast about that record. And wewere right! They can no longer brag about their record.Further, after this case we won yet another arbitrationthis year against Cedarbrook.

Mary Ann Boone is an advocate of Unions. Sheknew everyone in the work place would benefit byhaving a contract and the protection that it givesworkers, and she knew that her Union would standup for her and fight for her rights at work. She stoodup for herself, her co-workers stood up for her andLocal 1776 stood up for her. We all won. It wasanother very important victory for workers rights, onewon by workers for workers through their Union.

55 Yearsand

Still GoingStrong!

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AA cme member DaveLarson (right) and 1776President Wendell W.

Young, IV at celebration of Dave’s55 years of service with AcmeMarkets. Dave handles receivingat the Woodhaven Road store. Heis a resident of Bensalem, and is amember of the Local’s PoliticalAction Committee.

and benefits for all workers in the meatpacking andpoultry industries.

“The outcome of this election shows that whenworkers get a free and fair process, they choose unionrepresentation,” said Local 1776 President WendellYoung, IV. Young, also a UFCW International VicePresident, added: “The UFCW applauds JBS for takingthe high road to allow the workers to have a free and fairprocess. Having a union makes it better for everyone –workers, the company, and the larger community.”

The Brazilian firm JBS, S.A. acquired theformer Moyer Packing Company’s Soudertonfacility with the purchase of the Smithfield BeefGroup in 2008. JBS, out of respect for its workers,allowed a free and fair process for workers todecide about union representation.

“We achieved our victory because we stoodtogether and that’s what made us strong,” saidMelina Martinez, who has worked at the plant forthe last six years. “Now that we have a union, wewant to get right to work on a contract that protectsour rights and improves our working conditions.”

By choosing UFCW Local 1776 as their bargainingrepresentative, workers at the JBS plant in Soudertonwill join 27,000 JBS workers and 250,000meatpacking and poultry workers across the countrywho already enjoy the benefits of union representationwith the UFCW.

Local 1776 represents thousands of packinghouseand food processing workers in Pennsylvania at plantssuch as Empire Kosher Poultry in Mifflintown, Cargillin Hazelton, BC Natural Chicken in Fredericksburgand Citterio USA in Freeland.

( JBS Win, continued from back cover)

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DDemonstrating their solidarity with members of the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses & AlliedProfessionals (PASNAP) – Wyoming Valley Nurses Association at the Wilkes-Barre General Hospitalare, from left, PA State Representative Ed Pashinski (D-Luzerne County); PA State Rep. Phyllis

Mundy (D-Luzerne County); Omeed Firouz, a volunteer with Rep. Mundy; Roxanne Pauline, staff memberwith the Northeast Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation; Michele Kessler, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1776and Director of the Local’s Northeast and Central Pennsylvania Divisions; Ken Karasek, 1776 UnionRepresentative; and John Rusak, 1776 Lead Agent.

The members of PASNAP are involved in an intense struggle with the hospital’s new owner over wagesand the quality of patient care.

Standing Tall in SolidarityWith Wyoming Valley Nurses

1776 on the Line in NY to HelpStriking Motts Plant Workers

LLocal 1776 was in the middle of the action asits brothers and sisters in RWDSU/UFCWLocal 220 battled through a nearly four-

month strike at the Mott’s Plant in Williamson, NY.The Local helped staff the picket line and delivered

strike aid and Local 1776-produced snacks from WiseFood and water from Pocono Springs. It stood with theLocal 220 members until their strike was settled in mid-September with ratification of a three-year contract.

Michele Kessler, Secretary-Treasurer of Local1776 and Director of the Union’s Northeast andCentral Pennsylvania Divisions, said that the striketook place at the Motts Plant owned by the Dr.Pepper Snapple Group, where applesauce is the

main product. The issues were wages, affordablehealth care and the workers’ pension program.

“The strike became a national symbol for workingpeople who want only to maintain their middle class jobsand build strong communities,” Kessler said. The Dr.Pepper Snapple Group had sought to impose a $1.50-per-hour wage cut, in addition to other reductions. UFCWmembers and community allies engaged in more than600 actions across the nation in the course of the strike,including handbilling shoppers at grocery stores insupport of Local 220’s members.

“We’re glad we were able to extend a helping Local1776 hand to our brothers and sisters in Local 220 andhelp them achieve a fair contract,” Kessler said.

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TT opping the field in the Local 1776 Northeast Division’s annu-al membership golf tournament was a threesome of mem-bers from the PA Wine and Spirits Shops, from left: Andy

Nolan, of Carbondale, PA; Mike Ciuccoli, from Scott Township, PA;tournament chair John Rusak, lead agent in 1776’s NortheastDivision; and Tommy Evans, of Childs, PA. The tournament was heldat the Sugarloaf Golf Club.

Wine & Spirits Rules the CourseIn Northeast Golf Outing

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1776 Helps Create Labor Monument

TT he City of Philadelphia’s central role in thedevelopment of the U.S. labor movement hasbeen commemorated in a monument dedi-

cated last month in a neighborhood rich in workingclass labor history, with Local 1776 playing a key role.

Philadelphia’s Tribute to the American Worker islocated in the middle of Elmwood Park at 71stStreet and Buist Ave. in the southwest section of thecity. It’s an imposing a seven-piece set of bronzeartwork that celebrates the contributions oforganized labor nationwide.

The Local is one of seven major Pennsylvaniaunions that sponsored the sevenlarge “button tables” that make upthe monument – literally anoutdoor history lesson.

The Local’s bronze buttonrepresents the United Farm Workers(UFW), formed in1966 under theleadership of Cesar E. Chavez andhis rallying cry, “¡Si, Se Puede!,” or“Yes, We Can!” The artwork byBelfast, Ireland artist John Kindnesshonors the UFW’s role in organizingthousands of immigrant farmworkers and calling attention totheir poor working conditions.

The buttons are arranged in acircle surrounded by benches inthe center of the park, with thenames of Local 1776 and the othersix supporting unions inscribed ina granite band on the groundencircling the monument.

The creation of the monumentplayed a pivotal role in transformingthe long-neglected park into anattractive, broad, green open area.The neighborhood historically wasinhabited by families whose workersmanned the nearby industrial plantsin the area and nearby DelawareRiver waterfront.

In addition to the UFW, the buttons commemorateEugene Debs and his role in organizing the AmericanRailway Union; the 1903 march of children fromPhiladelphia to President Theodore Roosevelt’s summerhome on Long Island, NY that sparked the drive for thefirst child labor laws; the convening of the ContinentalCongress of the Working Class in 1905; the “bread androses” strike in1912 by Massachusetts textile workersthat brought early attention to women in the workplace;the key role of labor in the U.S. civil rights movement;and the fight of labor heroine Karen Silkwood to callattention to worker and community health in the 1970’s.

Unveiling the bronze Labor Monument table honoring the UnitedFarm Workers are, from left, 1776 President Wendell W. Young, IV; theLocal’s Director of Legislative and Political Action, John Meyerson;1776 President Emeritus Wendell W. Young, III; PA State Rep. RonWaters; PA State Sen. Vincent Hughes; PA State Sen. Christine M.Tartaglione; and Fairmount Park trustee Gregory M. Harvey.

Local 1776 Calendar

Northeast Division Area Meetings

Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 6 pmComfort Inn58 State Rt. 93West Hazleton, PA 18201

Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 6 pmTroy Vets Club1 Veterans Dr. (off Prospect St.)Troy, NY

Central Division Area Meetings

Monday, November 8, 2010, 6 pmAFSCME Conference Center150 S. 43rd St.Harrisburg, PA 17111

General Membership Meetings

Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 3 pmUFCW Local 1776 Pittston Office2007 Highway 315Pittston, PA 18640

Monday, November 15, 2010, 6 pmPlumbers’ Union, Local 6902791 Southampton Rd.Philadelphia, PA 19154

Thursday, December 9, 2010, 6 pmSeafarers’ International Union2604 South 4th StreetPhiladelphia, PA 19148

Southeast Division Area Meetings

Rooting the Phillies to Victory!

MM ore than 100 Local 1776 members, families and friendswere on hand for a group night at Citizens Bank Park asthe Phillies charged to their fourth consecutive year in

the National League playoffs. Among those cheering the Fightinson to victory over the Washington Nationals was a full contingentof Local 1776 Political Action Committee members from the AcmeWarminster store: Wanda Curtis, from Hatboro, PA, and her grand-daughter, Kaia; and (from left) Anne Koza, of North Wales, PA; SueKeller, of Bensalem, PA; Judy Corwell of UFCW Local 152; GinaPasceri, of Ambler, PA; and Debbie Coonelly, of Southampton, PA.

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UFCW Local 17763031-A Walton RoadSuite 201Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

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Non-ProfitOrganization

U.S. Postage PaidPhila., PA

Permit No. 3088

A winning Vote: Workers from JBS and staff from UFCW International, Local 1776 and UFCW localswho helped on the drive to win recognition at the Souderton, PA plant celebrate the vote at Local1776’s Union Hall on Walton Rd. in Plymouth Meeting, PA.

Big Win at JBS!

NNearly 1,200 workers at the JBS meatpack-ing plant in Souderton, PA have voted tojoin UFCW Local 1776.

“I am delighted that we stood together and madethe right choice to form a union,” said BernardConeghen, who has worked at the MontgomeryCounty facility for 27 years. “We had the opportunity

to speak with representatives of the UFCW about thebenefits of having a voice at work and were able tomake an informed choice about forming a union.”

The workers’ vote was the successful conclusionof a months-long campaign designed to give a voiceto the men and women at JBS. It also was part of anationwide UFCW-led effort aimed at raising wages


dialogue oct 2010

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