Voting and Elections
UFCW voters matter for California.
Safe Prescriptions
UFCW is working to ensure pharmacists have the support to do their most important job: delivering the right medicines, in the right doses and protecting consumers against potentially deadly drug interactions.
Cannabis
The UFCW is the only union representing cannabis workers in California. We are committed to building a successful industry that offers consumers access to safe products and local communities jobs with better wages and benefits.
Sacramento, CA – The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council released the following statements after the Assembly Judiciary Committee passed AB 3262 by Assemblymember Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley). The legislation will level the playing field on consumer safety for online marketplaces like Amazon. The megaretailer owned by the world’s richest man has seen their highest growth in three years due to the pandemic, but is currently not held to same strict product liability standard as the corner brick and mortar store, facing no repercussions from placing dangerous products in the stream of commerce.
“The world’s largest online retailer with more than half of the market should not be able to shift the costs of easily preventable injuries to its customers when even the smallest California brick and mortar business competitors would be liable under long standing consumer protection law,” said Jim Araby, director of strategic campaigns, UFCW Local 5. “The COVID-19 crisis has spiked online sales of goods, but that comes with an increase in consumer risk – something most consumers don’t know when they click ‘buy now’ on Amazon.com. UFCW members applaud the Assembly Judiciary Committee for holding Amazon to the same standards as other businesses.”
“We trusted that since we were buying [a hoverboard] on Amazon that it was safe because it is a reputable company,” said Dave Carpenter, a victim of Amazon’s lax product liability who testified in support of the bill. “I want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else. I simply ask that Amazon be liable for defective products they sell on their website.”
The bill now goes to the Assembly floor for a vote by the full Assembly.
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Contact: Jenna Thompson, 949.246.1620, jenna@paschalroth.com
Board of Pharmacy Votes to Adopt Regulations Making Sure “No Pharmacist Left Alone”
Sacramento, CA – After hearing from member pharmacists with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council, the California Board of Pharmacy voted Thursday to adopt regulations that reinforce standards set out by SB 1442 (Wiener), the No Pharmacist Left Alone Law. The regulations, drafted in response to a petition by UFCW, will help protect patients by requiring stores to make a designated, qualified staff member available to help pharmacists within five minutes of the pharmacists’ request.
“UFCW pharmacists are thankful that the Board of Pharmacy listened to us and took action to protect patients by strengthening enforcement of SB 1442,” said Todd Walters, president, UFCW Local 135. “Consistent enforcement is necessary to prevent large retail stores from evading the law’s purpose – to ensure pharmacists have the support necessary to focus on their core mission of keeping patients safe.”
“Our highly trained pharmacists are crucial to assuring access to health care for many Californians,” said Andrea Zinder, president, UFCW Western States Council and UFCW Local 324. “During this public health crisis they have stood out, going above and beyond their normal duties. We applaud the Board of Pharmacy, our pharmacist members and the public for ensuring pharmacists’ public health role is not compromised by short staffing.”
SB 1442 was passed in response to chronic understaffing of retail pharmacies that often led pharmacists to work alone for hours on end, compromising patient safety. In a time of public health crisis, retail stores continue to demand pharmacists perform multiple tasks, from dispensing medication to patients, to ringing up prescriptions and other store items, to clean the pharmacy bathrooms and taking out the trash.
The regulations now go to the Office of Administrative Law for approval and adoption into law.
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Contact: Jenna Thompson, 949.246.1620, jenna@paschalroth.com
Sacramento, CA – UFCW Western States Council released the following statements after the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) and the California Department of Public Health issued guidance for California’s meatpacking plants to keep customers and workers safe from COVID-19 infection:
“UFCW members in California’s meatpacking plants are going to work every day because we know we are needed now more than ever to keep the food supply chain intact and Californians healthy and fed,” said John Grant, president, UFCW Local 770. “We appreciate that Cal/OSHA has recognized the unique role our workers in our meatpacking plants have on the frontlines of this crisis and the risk we face from constant exposure to the public. These guidelines are critical in an environment where the serious and deadly impact of COVID-19 on meatpacking plants is evident across the country and in California.”
“Safety of workers must be the state’s top priority and UFCW is eager to see these standards implemented statewide and enforced regularly to minimize the risk our members and their families face, and to slow the virus’ spread in our communities,” said Joe Duffle, president, UFCW Local 1167. “Priority testing and tracking and tracing of cases will help keep workers healthy to prevent the virus from spreading and allowing these plants to remain open and the food supply secure.”
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CONTACT: Jenna Thompson, 949.246.1620, jenna@paschalroth.com