Your Union, Local 3 United Storeworkers, RWDSU/UFCW and The

SUMMER–FALL 2015
Your Union, Local 3 United Storeworkers, RWDSU/UFCW and
The Storeworkers Security Plan (SWSP) moved on October 1, 2015
The new address is:
31-21 31st Street, 4th Floor
Long Island City, NY 11106
The new location can be reached by taking either the “N” or the “Q” trains
to the Broadway station, four stops from the Bloomingdale’s 59th Street Store
Local 3 working hours will continue to be
Monday–Thursday 9:00am to 6:00pm and on Friday until 5:00pm
SWSP working hours will continue to be Monday–Friday 9:00am to 5:00pm
The telephone numbers remains the same. Local 3: (212) 371-6230
Storeworkers Security Plan: (212) 308-4800
The fax number for both is: (718) 267-7406
Local 3 Contract Provides Many Benefits
The Local 3 Union Contract with Bloomingdale’s, negotiated in 2012, provides
for various benefit improvements. Hourly workers receive General Wage
Increases (GWI) in each year of the contract. A major victory was scored
when Bloomingdale’s Management agreed to make changes in the return
policy that is beneficial to union members in the Collective Bargaining Unit.
Storeworkers Security Plan Alert
The Affordable Care Act passed by Congress and supported by the Supreme Court guarantees health care coverage to millions of Americans
who would not have health insurance were it not for this Federal Law.
There are still politicians who would deny health care to the aged, to the
very sick and to the very poor. The ideal situation would be for everyone
to have a right to health care, not as a benefit but as a right as is done in
most industrial countries.
Local 3 members are entitled to a unique benefit as part of the Union Contract. Local 3 members who are enrolled in the Company’s CIGNA health
care plan are entitled to financial assistance from the SWSP of up to $700
of the mandatory deductible in each insurance year, which begins July 1st
and ends June 30th of each year. Many members have taken advantage of
this opportunity to get support from the SWSP with their health care costs.
Health care coverage, paid vacations, maternity leave, guaranteed hourly
wages for all workers have all been part of the Labor Union Movement’s continuing campaign to improve the standard of living for all American workers.
You Are the Union
The most important function of the Labor Union Movement is to organize
the unorganized workers of America. Only organized workers have the
protection of a union contract.
Long-service workers at Bloomingdale’s have participated in struggles
to improve wages and the terms and conditions of all employees in the
collective bargaining unit.
This past March, we celebrated on-the-job improvements we made as a
result of a fifteen-day strike fifty years ago. Local 3 members staffed the
picket lines day and night.
Local 3 members were also involved in the struggles against racism,
sexism, ageism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and union campaigns against
other civil rights infringements. Over a hundred Local 3 members participated in the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Local
3 members were also involved in the struggle for women’s rights and attended the founding convention of the Coalition of Labor Union Women.
The continuing struggles in support of the LGBT movement have always
included Local 3 members, as has the fight for wage equity.
The 1950 Local 3 Union contract created the Storeworkers Security Plan,
and Maternity Leave was won at the same time. It took New York State
twenty-four years to catch up with the Local 3 Contract.
Local 3 has developed a history of fighting for workers’ rights because
the workers are the union and union solidarity always represents you.
PAGE 2 SUMMER–FALL 2015
The Union fought at the negotiating
table to make these changes. Both
job classifications, sales and nonselling, are enjoying the rights and
privileges in the Union Contract.
The Executive Board and the
Union Stewards will soon begin
preparing for the 2017 Contract
expiration. Every Local 3 member
will be encouraged to participate
in demonstrations and rallies designed to convince Management to
continue the relationship that has
been welded during more than 78
years of union representation.
The Local 3 Contract has a
grievance procedure that ends in
arbitration and works on behalf of
workers on a daily basis. Recently,
terminated workers have been reinstated thanks to this procedure.
The current Union Contract with
Bloomingdale’s is a shining example
of what can be accomplished by
working people who band together
to support their union. The enthusiasm that is being displayed by under
paid workers throughout the nation
is similar to the unrest of the 1920’s
and 30’s when workers awakened to
the strength that can be achieved by
Union Solidarity. The drive to increase
the minimum wage is a manifestation
of frustration, but also of courage and
determination to correct the unfairness against the working poor.
Local 3 Storeworker
Vol. XXIX, No. 3 Summer–Fall. 2015
Published by Local 3
United Storeworkers, RWDSU/UFCW
31-21 31st St. L. I. City, NY 11106
Telephone: (212) 371-6230
www.local3rwdsu.org
President: Cassandra A. Berrocal
Sec.-Treas.: Shaun Kavanagh
Recorder: Costello Dash
Contributions on topics of interest to
members of the Union are invited.
Correspondence should be sent to
the address above.
ATTEND YOUR UNION MEETINGS
Local 3 President Cassandra A. Berrocal, members and officers join thousands marching
up 5th Avenue to demonstrate worker solidarity in the Labor Day Parade celebration. (Below
right) Chuck Schumer,United States Senator for New York (right), shows his support of
Local 3 RWDSU/UFCW with Local 3 Secretary-Treasurer Shaun Kavanagh (left).
Labor Day Celebration
As the Nation celebrated the 2015 Labor Day held this year on September
7th, unionized workers could feel proud of the fact that every protected
labor legislation passed by Congress, State or Municipality in America is a
direct result of organized labor’s activities since 1784 when the Cordwinders went on strike in Philadelphia.
In New York City, a Mass was celebrated at St. Patrick’s Cathedral honoring workers and their contributions to society. The RWDSU, Local 3’s
parent body, served a primary role in the NYC push for a $15.00 an hour
minimum wage. The RWDSU was the prime mover in this endeavor and
continues to organize some of the lowest paid workers in the City.
Our Nation was founded in 1776, yet the first law passed by Congress
to establish workers’ rights was the Railway Act passed in 1929 to guarantee that freight would travel unhampered. The first law that protected
workers in general was the Nation Labor Relations Act in 1935. The latest
attempt to abolish income inequality is the decision handed down this
past August 27, 2015 by the National Labor Relations Board. This historic
decision makes the corporations responsible for the employees hired by
those to whom they grant franchises. This decision is expected to bring
thousands of workers out of poverty. It is also expected to be appealed by
THINK UNION · TALK UNION · ACT UNION
those corporations that would continue to keep low wages as the main
ingredient of their profit structure.
Every year, Labor Day is a day for
celebration and for remembering
the thousands of pioneers in the
American Labor Movement who
fought and died to make life better
for working people in America.
LOCAL 3 STOREWORKER F PAGE 3
UNITED STOREWORKERS
RWDSU/UFCW
31-21 31st Street, 4th Floor
Long Island City, NY 11106
COMMENTARY
The onslaught against labor unions by corporations is being met with unexpected resistance.
Workers at B&H Photo Video are learning that the
best way to achieve fairness and justice on the job
is through union solidarity.
The October 13th New York Times carried the
story of the uphill struggle each worker mounted
to achieve the dignity and benefits denied them
by management. The varying facts in the case
came to light when a lawyer representing the
union spoke with the newspaper and related the
unfair treatment received by the workers.
The firm employs workers at three locations.
Charges have been filed with the EEOC charging
the firm regarding discrimination and racism.
This story is reminiscent of the conditions workers found themselves in during the 1930’s. These
horror stories led to the formation of Unions in
our nation.
PAGE 4 SUMMER–FALL 2015
by Berrocal & Kavanagh
The fact that in today’s economy, the average
worker’s salary has not kept up with the rise in
profits is opening the door to a resurgence of prounion fervor on the part of working people.
Retailing is one of the lowest paying industries
and demands improvement. The RWDSU is leading the struggle for a fair minimum wage that
will meet the needs of workers. To achieve this
end, we must all participate in union activities
and attend union membership meetings when
they are called.
The in-store union network is easily available to
every member of Local 3. The Union office hours
are Monday-Thursday 9:00-6:00 and Friday until
5:00 and can be reached at (212) 371-6230.
In Union Solidarity
ATTEND YOUR UNION MEETINGS