A message to the membership of UFCW 21

 The decade has come to a close. We are grateful for all the struggles we have had together and for the successes of making the lives of working people better here locally, around the nation, and the world. We have advocated for and won advances that have improved the working conditions and communities for millions with higher wages, paid sick leave, paid family leave, improved scheduling, better workplace safety, and protected the voice of workers at work. We have improved voting access, health care coverage, helped pass climate change reforms and the list goes on and on.
 
And yet, we as a society are threatened by a shrill sense of hatred and intolerance that has been spreading. This rise in hatred and intolerance, including but not only limited to racism, sexism, xenophobia, and antisemitism is a threat to the social fabric of our country and undermines our efforts to build worker power. As recently as the days leading up to New Year’s, there were attacks on the Jewish community that were based on terror and anti-Semitism. And attacks on people of color are a daily tragedy. Through our work within our union and across our society, we have been highlighting and seeking to address at a fundamental level the racist policies and attacks on women, people of color, immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and many others in our nation.
 
The reality is that we are all better off when we stand together against intolerance, indifference, and bigotry. It is our hope that with united action, together, we can make headway in the next decade, much like we made in the last and at the same time achieve a major shift in the causes of racism, violence, and economic, social and political injustice.
 
Peace be with you,
 
Faye Guenther, President and Joe Mizrahi, Secretary Treasurer