Dear Local 2013 Member,

We know everyone is nervous and filled with more questions than answers regarding the Coronavirus and the impact it is having in our everyday lives, both at work and at home.

We are writing to all Employers that we have Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA’s) with to let them know we need to maintain open lines of communication as the impacts to various business unfold. We are also advising them that in the industries that require PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) like gloves; face masks; etc., we expect them to have enough inventories to assure that each member requiring this PPE, has it readily available to them.

Further, we are advising them to be understanding of members/workers issues as they relate to child care and the impact school closings may have on people’s ability to report to work or related impact on issues like absenteeism; across the board strict rules of discipline may need to be dealt with in a more understanding tone.

We have also reminded them that our CBA’S are still in effect and need to be adhered to; while we understand the impact that the virus may have on certain industries and businesses, they also need to remember we are here to protect member’s rights.

As things continue to unfold, there may be a need to do things differently, and that is why real time communications are vital. There is an ongoing dialogue with government officials (Local, State, and Federal) to look at what legislative relief can be provided to lessen the economic and financial impact to workers.

As developments occur (almost hourly and daily), we will be looking to keep communications to you the members as current as possible; to that end, you should make sure that we have the most up to date contact information for each member.

CLICK HERE TO UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION.

This includes phone numbers, email addresses; physical dwelling address. Also, be sure to stay in touch with your Union representatives to get updated information. We know some imparted businesses have already had to implement reduced schedules and in some cases even lay-offs. For assistance with unemployment, please check out the link below.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

NY State: https://www.ny.gov/services/get-unemployment-assistance

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

NJ State: https://myunemployment.nj.gov/

https://www.state.nj.us/csc/Coronavirus%20FAQs.FINAL.pdf

https://www.nj.gov/csc/COVguidelines.FINAL.pdf

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml

https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/warn/njwarn.html

In Solidarity,
Louis Mark Carotenuto – President
UFCW Local 2013
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Estimados Miembros de Local 2013,

Sabemos que todos están nerviosos y están llenos de más preguntas con respecto al Coronavirus y el impacto que está teniendo en nuestra vida cotidiana, tanto en el trabajo como en el hogar.

Les escribimos a todos los empleadores con los que tenemos Convenios Colectivos para informarles que necesitamos mantener líneas de comunicación abiertas a medida que se desarrollan los impactos en varios negocios. También les aconsejamos que en las industrias que requieren equipo de protección personal como guantes; máscaras faciales; etc., esperamos que tengan suficiente inventario para asegurar que cada miembro que requiera este equipo de protección personal lo tenga disponible.

Además, les aconsejamos que comprendan los problemas de los miembros / trabajadores en relación con el cuidado infantil y el impacto que pueden tener los cierres de escuelas en la capacidad de las personas para presentarse al trabajo o el impacto relacionado en asuntos como el absentismo; en general, es posible que se deban tratar reglas estrictas de disciplina en un tono más comprensivo.

También les hemos recordado que nuestros Contratos todavía están vigentes y deben cumplirse; si bien entendemos el impacto que el virus puede tener en ciertas industrias y negocios, también deben recordar que estamos aquí para proteger los derechos de los miembros.

A medida que las cosas continúan desarrollándose, puede ser necesario hacer las cosas de manera diferente, y es por eso que las comunicaciones en tiempo real son vitales. Existe un diálogo continuo con funcionarios del gobierno (local, estatal y federal) para analizar qué alivio legislativo se puede proporcionar para disminuir el impacto económico y financiero para los trabajadores.

A medida que ocurran los desarrollos (de hora a hora y diariamente), buscaremos mantener las
comunicaciones con los miembros lo más actualizadas posible; para ello, debe asegurarse de que
tenemos la información de contacto más actualizada para cada miembro

OPRIMA AQUI ACTUALIZA TU INFORMACION.

Esto incluye números de teléfono, direcciones de correo electrónico; dirección de la vivienda física. Además, asegúrese de
mantenerse en contacto con sus representantes sindicales para obtener información actualizada.

Sabemos que algunas empresas impartidas ya han tenido que implementar horarios reducidos y, en algunos casos, incluso despidos. Para obtener ayuda con el desempleo, consulte el siguiente enlace.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html

NY State: https://www.ny.gov/services/get-unemployment-assistance

https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

NJ State: https://myunemployment.nj.gov/

https://www.state.nj.us/csc/Coronavirus%20FAQs.FINAL.pdf

https://www.nj.gov/csc/COVguidelines.FINAL.pdf

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/ncov.shtml

https://www.nj.gov/labor/lwdhome/warn/njwarn.html

En Solidaridad,
Louis Mark Carotenuto – Presidente
UFCW Local 2013
View as PDF

Dear Local 2013 Member,

We’re at a point in history where we have experienced two tragic pandemic’s at once; we’ve just gone through one that is a health crisis and now facing another that is a social justice crisis. Unfortunately and overwhelmingly,  people of color are disproportionately impacted by both of these crisis situations.

They are, by large number, employed in what are now considered ESSENTIAL jobs. Jobs in the Healthcare Industry; Food workers at grocery stores and the Food Preparation Industry; etc.

The other crisis is one of a long standing history of society turning a blind-eye to the systemic abuses of how people of color are treated.

Both of these crisis situations are now at the forefront of societal attention- but for all the wrong reasons; one where frontline workers had to fight for just pay and proper safety protections while they continued to step up and show up to work despite their concerns over their own health and safety. The other over a completely senseless murder of a man at the hands of an abusive police officer.

Workers should not have to beg to be paid or treated properly;  and people of color – human beings- should not have to beg to be treated equally.

Now is the time to confront both of these crisis issues; now is the time for people to come together and demand fair and equal treatment in ALL aspects of life. NOW IS THE TIME FOR CHANGE; RESPECT; UNITY!

In Solidarity,
Louis Mark Carotenuto – President
UFCW Local 2013
View as PDF

All,

This coming weekend will include the Labor Day Holiday weekend, it is the recognized weekend that marks the end of summer but, it is so much more than that. It is the day set aside for ALL working people; the day to remember and recognize all of the sacrifices of working people over the years who have fought for higher wages; better benefits; stronger safety protocols and laws; the 40 hour workweek; overtime pay; respect & dignity in the workplace; equal pay-for-equal work; non-discrimination rules / laws; the list goes on & on….

All of those benefits and  improvements did not come without sacrifice. They were not achieved without hard fought battles; they were not achieved without unfortunate deaths in the workplace; they were not achieved without the unfortunate necessity of an occasional STRIKE. Hard fought battles to achieve improvements for a SAFE & FAIR Workplace. To be able to live a decent life for yourself and your family; to be able to provide your family with a comfortable place to live; to be able to send your children to school…. to simply want something better for the next generation !

This year has proven to be another challenging one for workers that will go down in history for several reasons. First, because we were hit with a health pandemic that nobody saw coming or could have imagined that required us to identify “Frontline Workers” who stood tall and answered the call to keep the country going; UNION WORKERS answering the call every day. Healthcare workers to battle this virus in the unthinkable face of death and suffering to keep the food chain moving; Food / Warehouse / Grocery store workers braving exposures to the Virus to be sure the rest of the country feed their families ; Mail Carriers and Parcel Services making sure essential and vital supplies were being delivered; that list goes on & on as well. Secondly, the economic downturn that came as a result of the Pandemic… again, people struggling to survive and keeping the faith that we are in this together and we will get through it. Lastly, everyone coming out of this Pandemic trying to get back to some sense of normalcy and fighting to find jobs again to rebuild the economy – Restaurant workers trying to salvage a devastated industry due to Social Distancing needs and to imagine how they can survive fearing a second wave of COVID19.

A Challenging year – yes… absolutely; insurmountable – no… one thing we proved during this Pandemic was that we as a people can come together. In times of need and tragedy, we have each other’s back and support one another.  Sounds like UNION STRONG to me.

Please take the time to enjoy the Holiday and enjoy your families; and after that – let’s get back to the business of fighting hard to get good UNION Contracts !!

Happy LABOR DAY !!

In Solidarity,

LMC

All,

Attached is a letter from Joe Biden that lays out his commitment to working men and women in this country and the UFCW, the foundation to make things better for the Working Middleclass. Please share this letter with our members, your families, your friends, etc. We MUST regain the White House but, more important, we MUST regain the Senate as well. Over the last four years, Trump and his cronies have made us the laughing-stock of the world; so far they have only taken care of BIG Business and the top 1% of the wealthy. They have turned their backs on the Working Middleclass; they have turned their backs on the very people who have built this country into what it once was for their own personal greed and prosperity.

It is IMPERATIVE that we Get Out The Vote (GOTV) this November and that we put someone in the White House that can not only  lead this country back to its proper standing in the world’s but, someone that can lead it back to its high standard of INTEGRITY as well. He has turned the American people against themselves; he has undone the progress made over decades in the fight for civil rights and equality; he has undone a woman’s right to choose; he has undone and undermined a workers right to bargain collectively and fairly; he has undone decades of work on environmental protections; he has put the Nation –AT-RISK during a Global Pandemic…. And in the process he ruined the economy; bringing the Nation’s unemployment level to record high’s; lying to the American people about the severity of a Global Pandemic – he put lives at risk unnecessarily and his slow response cost American lives… is THIS what our nation’s President is supposed to do ?!

These things are just the tip of the iceberg that he has collectively ruined in this country over the 4 years…. Do you really want/need to see the everlasting damage he can do in another 4 years ?!

NOW is the time to make sure everyone is motivated to get out in November to take the necessary steps to make a change in the National interest and to take back our country. We MUST pull together and we MUST make sure we send Trump back to where he belongs – running his businesses and casino’s; oh, that’s right… sorry, he ran them into bankruptcy…. Maybe just send him packing !

Download the letter here

LMC