Scholarship Application Now Available!

Your union is about more than your paycheck and benefits. The UFCW is about workers coming together to build better lives for ourselves. It's about creating opportunity.

That's why each year the UFCW awards several scholarships of up to $8,000 each to UFCW members or their unmarried dependents.

The scholarship application will be available January 15 - March 15, 2009

Click here for more details and to apply!

Are You A "Boomerang"?

Some scientists have labeled folks born between 1977 – 1989 as A boomerang is a device that when launched will return to its place of origin, the “Boomerang Generation,” is then a term to a describe a particular group of people born between 1977-1989 who much like a noting that, much like the Australian toy, we boomerang leave home for while and come right back. , in some cases many do not even leave home at all. Often times what happens is that individuals leave home for periods of time, whether it is for college or to simply assert their independence and then find out that the “real world” is much harsher than what they thought it was, soon after they find themselves back at home, hence the term boomerang.Social Scientists have examined this “boomerang generation” and often contrast it to previous generations which were considered more successful in asserting their independence sooner. Some critics have gone as far as labeling this generation as spoiled or coddled. These critics also express concerns regarding the negative implications that this trend can have on the financial and social independence of these individuals.

Is our generation really Is our generation really as spoiled as these sociologists claim? Just “mommy’s boys” and “daddy’s girls”? What’s really going on?

While I do agree that social critics have legitimate concerns, and that there are differences between this generation and previous generations, I do not agree with the assertion that this generation is spoiled. Instead I would like to point out that the actual root of the issue lies in transforming economic and political realities.

young people face a where Today’s “new economy” means many well paying, unionized jobs have been outsourced, leaving behind a growing service sector economy that consists of occupations like social services, insurance, retail and entertainment. Unfortunately, this section of the economy is largely non-union and many of these jobs, which are the major occupations of younger workers, simply cannot pay the bills.

In 2000, The Wall Street Journal reported that since 1974 real wages for an average individual with a high school diploma declined 20%. To make matters even worse in 2006, The New York Times reported that for two consecutive years, 2004 and 2005, real wages fell 0.8 percent each year.

There also seems to be a correlation wIt’s not coincidence that real wages are declining with the ith declining real wages and the relative decline of labor unions’s power. , employees bargaining power, and weakened Federal worker protections, all of which have political implications as certain Presidential administrations and politicians have been more hostile to labor unions and workers rights. Arandrajit Dube, a research economist at the University of California Berkeley’s Center for Labor Research also echo’s this sentiment and asserts that “Falling real wages reflect workers weakened bargaining position.”

What do we have? A new economy, a lack of healthcare, Tying these economic and political realities of the new economy, globalization, outsourcing, declining real wages, weakening Federal worker protections and hostility from certain Bush-appointed politicians toward labor unions and workers rights. iIt’ is easy to see that young people today face an uphill battle when leaving home. more complex world than previous generations with different sets of challenges. With odds seemingly stacked against young workers in this new economy it becomes no wonder why we have a “boomerang generation”. Because oThe odds are stacked against us, so we have to it is necessary for us to work together, demonstrate solidarity, and become proactive in the political process.

Not being able to move out of mom's, piled with student debt and not being able to pay the bills isn't about being spoiled; it's happening because of declining wages. Help reverse this trend.

Dream of College?

On October 24th, the Senate failed to muster the 60 votes necessary to protect the dreams of hard working students. The DREAM Act would have allowed children of immigrants who have grown up in the United States the opportunity to apply for citizenship if they graduate from high school and complete two years of college or military service. Despite the support of 52 senators, the failure to advance the DREAM Act punishes hardworking students. It is a sad day when America sends a message to young people that their talents and service are unwanted.

Each year, tens of thousands of high performing children of immigrants who were raised in the United States—including honor role students, star athletes, and aspiring teachers, doctors, lawyers and U.S. soldiers—graduate from high school. Despite their academic achievements, they are effectively barred from contributing fully to our communities.

America cannot afford to turn its back on an educated class of promising students who have demonstrated a commitment to hard work and a strong desire to be upstanding members of our society. Our current immigration policy has real human costs, and the UFCW will continue to fight for immigration reform that ensures that America’s workers and their children are able to improve their lives and realize the American Dream. You can help. Sign up to be a UFCW Volunteer in Politics today.