UFCW Local 538 members and Kraft workers Gloria Jenkins and Mark Grimes
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Marc Perrone, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement in response to the merger of Kraft and Heinz:
“We have a profound responsibility to provide our hard-working families the opportunity for a better life. It is why we have a proud history of negotiating union contracts, with both Heinz and Kraft, that provides these incredible men and women better pay, benefits and job security. By working together we have not only met our responsibility to our people, but have proved that companies that choose to be responsible can be profitable and successful. We will continue to work with Heinz and Kraft to ensure they do what is right and responsible and that ‘streamlining’ and ‘cost-cutting’ measures don’t hurt the workers, their families, who have helped make these companies a success.”
The UFCW represents approximately 1342 workers at Heinz locations in Fremont, Ohio; Holland, Michigan; Muscatine, Iowa; and Massillon, Ohio. Approximately 2870 Kraft workers in Coshocton, Ohio; Davenport, Iowa; Dover, Delaware; Jacksonville, Florida; Madison, Wisconsin; and Walton, New York are also UFCW members.