The UFCW Guild represents ~ 50 employees of the United Food and Commercial Workers International, the largest private-sector union in the country. Guild members at the UFCW staff the union’s research, communications, accounting, digital, and data & analytics departments, among others, ensuring that UFCW locals and members are supported through organizing and bargaining campaigns, from their first day as members through retirement.
A better contract for UFCW Guild members means a stronger UFCW for retail, grocery, healthcare, cannabis, packing, processing, chemical, and distillery workers. The UFCW Guild is organizing for wages that align with increasing costs of living in DC and across the country; for a modern telework policy that will improve recruitment and retention efforts; and for sick leave and time off policies that reflect modern expectations of work.
Follow Us on Social Media: We’re @UFCWGuild on X (Twitter) and TikTok!
UFCW Falls Short on Wages
A majority of UFCW Guild members must live in the DC metro area. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, DC has the 6th highest cost-of-living in the country and the average annual salary for a 2 bedroom apartment requires making $73,520. We believe that UFCW should not settle for the bare minimum and should pay workers at least $75,000, a baseline that similar employers have met with similar jobs in the region.
While we strive to make sure that UFCW union members can survive on one good paying job, 28% of UFCW Guild employees cannot afford fair market rent on a studio apartment in DC on their current salary.
21 UFCW Guild employees have worked at UFCW for more than 5 years, but 47.5% of those employees cannot afford a fair market 2 bedroom apartment. UFCW needs to give us the raises we deserve, so UFCW Guild members can survive on one good paying job, too.
Women working at UFCW make $5,000 less on average than their male counterparts. Long-term female employees make $18,000 less on average.
Black UFCW Guild women disproportionately make up the share of workers making under $75,000: while 62.5% of UFCW Guild employees make less than 75k a year, over 93% of Black UFCW Guild employees are making less than $75,000. This is unacceptable for ANY workplace, but especially a labor union.