Grocery Workers’ Union Endorses Jeffries
FORT GREENE — United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500, New York State’s largest grocery workers union, announced its support today for Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries for Congress in the 10th Congressional District. This is the first labor endorsement for Jeffries.
“We are excited and proud to endorse Hakeem Jeffries to be the next congressman from Brooklyn’s 10th Congressional District,” said Bruce W. Both, president, UFCW 1500. “As a New York state Assemblyman, Hakeem stood side by side with our members and fought on our behalf as we worked to pass the New York State Wage Theft Prevention Act in 2010, a bill that provides workers in New York state against irresponsible employers who fail to pay their workers. As a member of Congress, our union is confident that Hakeem will bring leadership, innovative thinking and a progressive mind to a legislative body crying out for civility and common sense.”
“It is an honor to have the endorsement of UFCW,” said Jeffries. “This strong union stands up for all workers in their fight for fair contracts and wages, and the right to a decent quality of life. I am proud to stand with UFCW as a state legislator and I look forward to working with them in Washington to keep improving life for all city residents.” UFCW has a long history in New York. Its members work for companies such as Pathmark, Stop and Shop, Key Food, Shop Rite and Fairway, all of which operate in Brooklyn. With nearly 23,000 members, Local 1500 is not only the largest of New York State’s grocery workers unions, it is among the largest locals in the entire national UFCW. The local represents men and women in Queens, Staten Island, Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties.