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UFCW
Weekender
Following is a
brief roundup of important articles and information for your
weekend reading:
- Unions and State
Economies
Unions paved the way to the middle class for
millions of workers and pioneered benefits such as paid health
care and pensions along the way. Find out how unions help
workers while strengthening the economy in five key
states: Virginia, Louisiana, California, Maine,
Pennsylvania.
- The
Madoff Economy
New York Times columnist Paul
Krugman reflects on how the vast riches achieved by
those who managed other people’s money have had a
corrupting effect on our society as a whole.
- Unions
are Good for Democracy
According to a new fact sheet from the Center
for American Progress, it is good for the economy and good for
American democracy when workers join together in unions, despite
the claims of some conservatives who are waging a campaign to
block important legislation that would make it easier to join a
union.
Get
the real facts on the Employee Free Choice Act and why we can't
afford to not have it pass.
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Another Wal-Mart Unionized in
Quebec
Over 150 Wal-Mart workers in Hull, Que.,
have become the ninth group of Canadian "associates" to join the
country's largest private-sector union after a Dec. 17 decision
by the Quebec Labour Board awarded bargaining rights for the
Hull location to the United Food and Commercial Workers
Canada.
"Hopefully, this decision will help Wal-Mart to
understand that Canada is a place where labour rights are human
rights, and where people take their rights very seriously.
Hopefully, Wal-Mart won't squander another chance to prove its
critics wrong, and it will take this opportunity to show the
world that it believes in human rights by sitting down with
these Hull workers to negotiate a contract in good faith," said
National President of UFCW Canada,
Wayne Hanley.
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Union-made Gifts
for the Holidays
Still have some last-minute
holiday shopping to do? Show your union pride with these
festive, American-made gifts.
This Week's Video
Workers at the Smithfield
packing plant in Tar Heel, NC know that change is coming to
America. Hear about how they have made history
at: http://www.vimeo.com/2564767
Also, check out these great photos
from the UFCW Smithfield campaign on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/ufcwsmithfield
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