In what has been a very quiet labor related news event, the employee’s of Mound Jubilee Foods voted overwhelmingly to cut ties with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. The final vote tally was 36 to 4. The vote took place on May 28th, there was a one week window for those who opposed leaving the Union to contest the vote. Nobody did, and it became official from the U.S. Labor Dept. on June 6th.
In speaking with employee’s about why they voted to leave the Union, the main reason given was, “they don’t do anything except take our money,” and, “the health insurance isn’t good, it’s expensive, and a high amount of out of pocket expenses, it sucks”
That was also the biggest fear of some employee’s, whether or not they would continue to have health insurance. Jubilee’s owner, Bob Boese assured those employee’s he would offer health insurance, and could be better suited for the employee’s than what the Union offered.
Another factor that weighed in was the Union has been attempting to raise the dues, the last attempt was a year ago and that was rejected by the rank and file (not overwhelmingly, it was fairly close). There were rumors of another attempt in the foreseeable future.
Another very big reason for its ouster is this woman. UFCW Local 663 president, Rena Wong.
It’s been reported that Rena authorized herself a $41,000 dollar a year raise that goes in to effect this September. The vast majority of grocery store employee’s don’t even make $30,000 dollars a year. Well, that left a sour taste in the mouths of the employee’s, and when you consider that, coupled with the attempts to raise dues, you essentially have the employee’s paying for her raise, she’s already making six figures a year, in fact, everyone in the Local’s office is six figure incomes, you can see why the Jubilee employee’s basically said, “No more. Enough is enough. This is just pure greed.”
Jubilee employee’s are not attempting to organize with another, nor are there any plans in the future to do so.