UFCW Voices: Doreen Martinez

UFCW members like Doreen Martinez know the importance of sticking together to improve their jobs. Doreen is a UFCW Local 5 member who works at Nob Hill, a gourmet grocery store in Northern California that belongs to the Raley's family. Recently, Doreen and her fellow union workers have been getting involved with their union, UFCW locals, and helping coordinate strike meetings vote meetings, in which members attended in large numbers and authorized the union's bargaining committee to call a strike.

UFCW Local 5 member rally for a fair contract

Negotiations are now underway with Raley's-Nob Hill. Doreen and many others are concerned about the proposed contract so far.  Here's what Doreen had to say recently about her experiences at Nob Hill:

What we are being offered, we don't accept it. We don't want our healthcare cut...they want to do cut backs. They have cut our hours so far back that the work is never done. I've been seeing reduced hours as a full time clerk for four years now, and it’s sad when you're a full time clerk and you can't even pay your bills. You just kind of have to shuffle 'em around.  And its stressful because we work hard, and we feel like we're nothing when we are being treated like this.

Doreen, who works with both of her daughters and her sister-in-law in the same store, and a sister-in-law and brother-in-law at another location, knows that all of the company's employees are "in this together".  To get her fellow workers to stick together, Doreen gives out a pledge card whenever she can, to anyone that will sign it, to get votes for unionization.  She also notes that they have the store's customers' support, "one-hundred percent.”

Doreen remembers one comment in particular from a loyal customer that supports the workers: "Doreen, I can buy bread anywhere, but I come to you for it."

Alerting every clerk about each meeting, providing carpools, getting involved with UFCW's special projects programs, and staying strong are just a few of the things Doreen does to help them stick together.  "Staying strong" is important since many Doreen works with are scared to strike.

"No, I don't want to strike," she says, "I can't afford to.  But if we have to we have to- to get a fair contract! You have to be in the store to do your job, be pleasant, not be stressed, but you also have to fight for your rights.  I stepped up big-time when this started happening, because it’s not fair to us if we keep pulling back. Before, I used to be really quiet about these things, but you don't get anywhere being quiet."

With the strike vote, Doreen and countless others like her have shown that they are not afraid to stick together and stand up for what's right.

We all have a lot to learn from workers like Doreen, who are willing to take a stand for what's right, even in the face hardship. Stay tuned to the UFCW blog for more features on the workers who keep our country going.

L.A. Medical Cannabis Workers Join UFCW

The word is out in Los Angeles - medical cannabis workers from a dozen dispensaries around town have come together for a voice on the job with UFCW Local 770.

It's a natural fit - these workers will join Local 770 members who work in other retail settings, including grocery stores and pharmacies. And they join medical cannabis workers in other parts of California and in states across the country who have already joined UFCW. Check out this L.A. Times article to get the full scoop. And to our new brothers and sisters in the L.A. dispensaries: welcome to the UFCW!

Support Southern California Workers

Bargaining in southern California continues as grocery workers and UFCW members continue to stick together and take a stand for the good jobs our communities depend on.

The tens of thousands of unionized workers of Kroger, Supervalu, and Safeway are having their health benefits and pensions threatened. Negotiations continue between the UFCW and these supermarket chains.

These supermarkets have proposed health and welfare contributions that would fund less than half of the current level of benefits. Also these workers would receive inadequate pension funding, and indefensible work rule language.

Unionized supermarket employees set the standard for employment in our industries.

Send a letter to the workers and show your support by clicking here.
ufcwaction.org/california