All of UFCW 1500’s members work for employers that should know and follow all of their employee obligations under state and federal law. Your employer has the obligation to provide you a safe and comfortable work environment, free of discrimination, harassment and/or unfair treatment. Many people’s definitions of those expressions can vary and can easily lead to questions or misunderstandings about certain situations that occur on the job. All of your Union Representatives, Field Directors and Membership Servicing Representatives spend a great deal of their time visiting job sites, talking to members and reviewing these types of questions with you to ensure that you are not being mistreated. They will also ensure that ALL of your rights on the job, whether guaranteed by law or the Union Contract, are being honored. In addition to monitoring how you are treated on the job the Union checks the safety conditions in your locations on a monthly basis. Any deficiencies that are discovered are reported to your employer for repair, and at times, when more critical violations are discovered, the Union Representative may take action and deem an area of your store, or piece of equipment, off limits for use by our members. If you see something like this happen at your workplace you should be aware that it is being done for your safety and you respect the decision made by your Union Representative at that time.
Should you find yourself in any situation that you feel requires clarification of if you feel unsafe on the job for any reason please contact your Union Representative immediately via call or email. You can also seek out the store shop steward and advise him/her of the issue at hand and see if they have any guidance for you.