Displaying 2 of 2 Total Records

UFCW Immigration Work will be Honored in September

imm awardThe UFCW’s immigration programs will be honored by the Center for Community Change at its annual“Change Champion Awards” ceremony on September 17 in Washington, D.C.

Under the leadership of UFCW International President Marc Perrone and UFCW Executive Vice President Esther López, the UFCW is proud to lead the fight for immigration reform through two signature immigration programs which reach all levels of the union and our nation.

The first, known as Union Citizenship Action Network (UCAN), provides members a platform to learn from seasoned immigrants’ rights advocates about the critical skills and tools needed to go through the naturalization process and become U.S. citizens. The second program is designed to help UFCW members get ready for Deferred Action for Parent Arrivals (DAPA).

Representing workers from all over the globe, the UFCW has seen the devastation caused by the broken immigration system in the United States. From ICE raids in meatpacking plants, to the endless threat of deportation, members and immigrant communities across the United States have been failed by the inaction of elected officials. Their deafening silence in the face of exploitative labor practices that have driven down wages, benefits, and the working conditions of all workers only serves to perpetuate a crisis that continues to grow.

Congress has yet to pass legislation, but the UFCW is not sitting back and waiting for politicians to act. Local unions are hosting workshops to help members determine whether they qualify, gather necessary documentation, prescreen their applications, and answer important legal questions. The UFCW is committed to ensuring that when a legal ruling on DAPA is finally rendered, UFCW members will either be ready to file for it or fight for it.

The UFCW is proud to accept this award and is committed to fighting for the rights of all hard-working men and women.

UFCW Stands with Labor Leaders, Workers in Support of Bold Action on Immigration

UFCW Executive Vice President Esther López stood with labor leaders and workers as part of a press conference at the AFL-CIO Monday to send a loud and clear message: unions will continue pushing forward with their efforts to build worker power for immigrants and not wait for Congress, the courts, or the elections to act.  The event took place a day before Deferred Action for Parental Accountability (DAPA) was scheduled to start, a program granting millions of workers the opportunity to live and work without fear.

“May 19 should have started a process where undocumented workers could apply for legal rights and some peace of mind,” said López. “It was about taking a step forward, however modest, in the fight to fix our broken immigration system. But instead DAPA remains in limbo. And for that we say to the politicians who have held it up—shame on you. We know the lawsuit is a political stunt—an effort to scare away immigrant workers from applying for DAPA. The best way to fight back is to continue getting ready for this program. So that is exactly what we are doing. When the legal ruling finally comes down, UFCW members will either be ready to file for DAPA or fight for it.”
López laid out the work the UFCW has been doing to get ready for DAPA. “From coast to coast, local unions have hosted workshops to help members determine whether they qualify, gather necessary documentation, prescreen their applications, and answer important legal questions,” she said. “The UFCW is moving forward—full speed ahead. The goal remains the same—to ensure UFCW members are first in line when the application process begins.”

Even in the face of DAPA being delayed, López said she remains optimistic. “Our movement is as strong and organized as I can ever remember it,” she said. “Workers and families and communities are standing up and speaking out. Together, we will fight for DAPA. We will fight for comprehensive immigration reform. Most of all, we will fight for the better America each and every one of us deserves.”