We hold employers accountable for safer workplaces.
Safety isn’t just a one-and-done deal – it’s a process. Safety programs and rules are only as good as the enforcement in the workplace keeping the employer honest. We know government agencies like OSHA are overburdened and underfunded, which is why our staff, stewards, and safety monitors work every day to ensure that companies make sure that safety programs are rigorously followed to the letter of the law, the regulation, and our contract – even while we fight in Washington, D.C. and your state capitol for better, stricter safety rules.
– Sherry Louk, UFCW Local 1149“We’ve worked hard over the years to create a culture where everyone is comfortable to speak up about safety issues. Because we all want the safest workplace possible, there is an environment of empowerment where we can be honest about safety concerns and fix them before somebody gets hurt…I can say ‘I’ve got your back’ because the company and the union have mine.”
Safe jobs save lives.
UFCW contracts have strong, enforceable safety language that goes beyond just what’s in laws and regulations to protect hard-working UFCW members. We work together through training, enforcement, and contract negotiation to bring real expertise and collective power to compel companies to ensure every member’s safety. And we encourage our members to get involved by speaking out and reporting any unsafe conditions they encounter.
We are strengthening legislation to make all workplaces safer.
Every worker deserves to know they will come home safe at the end of the day. That is why UFCW supports the STOP Violence Act and related legislation to better address workplace gun violence occurring at our stores, improve workers’ preparedness for violent incidents with active shooter training, and provide resources for UFCW members who have experienced workplace violence.
The UFCW represents 194,000 members working in slaughterhouses, poultry plants, and food manufacturing facilities. To protect these workers, the UFCW has championed the Protecting America’s Meatpacking Workers Act, which would modernize the facilities’ health and safety standards, restrict the USDA’s ability to issue to line speed waivers, and protect whistleblowers from employer retaliation, among other safety measures.
Members often work in hot and humid conditions while wearing stifling personal protective gear and can be exposed to noxious chemicals. The UFCW is fighting to pass the Asuncion Valdivia Heat Illness and Prevention Act that would empower OSHA to develop workplace excessive heat prevention standards in outdoor and indoor workplaces.
The UFCW is also dedicated to supporting workers in health care and social services, where chronic understaffing undermines worker safety and patient care. The UFCW is advocating for stronger federal safety and health standards, appropriate staffing ratios, and fair overtime policies in hospitals and nursing homes to better protect both patients and caretakers.
