this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2024
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If you want annual 10% raises, get elected to the bargaining committee and fight for it. A union is only as strong as it's member's will to fight.
What do you do if your unions has no elections?
UFCW is corrupt.
There aren't any elections in the UFCW? In that case, I'd look for a more democratic union and campaign to hold a 3 way election when it's time for a new contract.
Not in my local anyway.
First, do you mean your workplace, or your local? Locals for sure are supposed to have elections, and workplaces are supposed to elect their stewards. Stewards are the ones bargaining the contract and representing workers, they're also supposed to be bringing contracts to a vote. Bring it up with your local (above your workplace) first and talk to the president to find out where things are going wrong. Then if necessary go to your district before taking the drastic measure I mentioned. UFCW is supposed to be much more democratic than what you're describing from what I can find, so there might be something wrong flying under the radar.
Alternately, they can hold elections and still make them corrupt by holding them at the most inconvenient times for everyone except the people they want. "Our election is a voice vote, the week before Thanksgiving, at 2PM in a conference room in town 50 miles away" sorta stuff.
That's exactly what they did for the contract ratification and the strike vote, the only two votes they've ever communicated to us about.
They have four stores in a 120km radius across three different towns all going to one conference center, where voting is only open for a few hours during regular work times. Nobody is allowed to take time off work to go vote, not to mention that everyone is paid so poorly most don't have car and therefore no way to get there. There's a token short bus that goes between the towns, twice a day on weekdays only.
The only two votes they actually communicated about were clearly designed to reduce voter turnout.
UFCW is corrupt.