For more click http://www.ufcwaction.org/site/PageNavigator/UFCW/ABC/UFCW_ABC

For video click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WokTF4ZSs3c&feature=g-upl

Come 2014, when core provisions of the Affordable Care Act kick in, millions of legal immigrants will have new options for gaining health coverage. And like U.S. citizens, most will be subject to the individual mandate, under which they will be required to get coverage to avoid a penalty.

The national health law explicitly excludes illegal immigrants — a politically explosive topic — and bans them from the new state insurance exchanges, even if they use their own money. They will make up a big chunk of the remaining uninsured population. But advocates say states have good reasons to reach out and get uninsured legal residents covered — especially as the federal government picks up most of the tab.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0512/76353.html#ixzz1v98NXKMK

A quorum existed, a quorum had participated in hearings and deliberations. But because one person did not cast an electronic vote, the ruling is that a quorum did not exist. While the requirement for a quorum is more than a minor technicality, this ruling certainly is based on a technicality. If this had been the standard in Wisconsin when Gov. Scott Walker’s anti-union budget repair bill was being considered, for instance, the 14 Democratic state senators would never have had to leave Wisconsin. They could have sat in the statehouse simply refusing to vote.

For more click http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/15/1091835/-Judge-throws-out-National-Labor-Relations-Board-union-elections-rule-over-lack-of-quorum

For more click http://www.ufcw.org/press_room/index.cfm?pressReleaseID=596

Their confidence was rewarded when their old house sold in just five weeks, allowing them to purchase a plot of almost two acres (0.8 hectare) in Vienna, Virginia, where they are breaking ground this month on a property they hope to live in for the next 30 years.

“We would not have put in a contract to build had we not been confident we could sell our current home,” said Kathleen Sache, a physician who voted Republican in the 2008 presidential election but would not say who she supports this time around.

For more click http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/14/us-usa-campaign-housing-idUSBRE84D17P20120514

Los Angeles County Federation of Labor leader Maria Elena Durazo said Wal-Mart donations have been tainted by recent allegations that the Bentonville, Ark., company engaged in widespread bribery of Mexican officials to gain approval for new stores there.

Wal-Mart is attempting to quickly expand in Los Angeles, she said, and money given to politicians should be viewed with suspicion. The company is building two new grocery-only stores, one in Panorama City and another in Chinatown.

For more click http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2012/05/labor-wal-mart.html

After successful collective bargaining to continue a long and successful working, TAPS’ refusal to acknowledge the negotiated agreement reached between the parties violates federal law, and will result in losses to customers, communities, and workers.

The Department of Labor (DOL) plans to strip TAPS of its federal funding after TAPS failed to abide by the terms and conditions of federal funding eligibility.

Following a change in legal representation, and hiring the law firm of Fee Smith, TAPS was advised to no longer continue to negotiate and bargain with the UFCW.  TAPS adopted this advice despite years of successful operation with such arrangements.

Unfortunately, TAPS’ actions to suddenly adopt the advice of Fee Smith now violates the requirements to continue receiving the federal funds required to continue operations.

Despite best efforts by the DOL and the UFCW to find ways to allow TAPS to keep their funding and acknowledge the bargained agreement reached between the parties on May 27^th 2010 , TAPS refuses to change its position.  At all times the UFCW has participated in all negotiations with the president, and attorneys at Agee, Van Atta, Owens, and Gillespie present.  TAPS however continues to only resume negotiations with its newly hired attorneys, Fee Smith.

After a refusal to continue the long standing bargaining relationship between the parties in late 2010, the UFCW turned to the NLRB for help and understanding the NLRB in turn referred to the DOL who discovered TAPS’ was violating federal law .

This resulted in TAPS suing the UFCW in an attempt to recover tens of thousands of dollars spent in attorneys’ fees.  Eventually, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) notified the DOL over concern of TAPS’ changed status as a governmental entity under Texas state law.  The DOL then requested the position of the two parties to make a decision on federal funding.

Upon presentation of those positions, it was determined TAPS is in violation of federal funding requirements protecting the bargaining relationship between the parties.  This will result in loss of federal funding, and unfortunate losses to many other interested parties, including the good hard-working employees of TAPS.

The UFCW is diligently continuing to try convince TAPS to change its position so the parties can continue this important service to the great citizens it serves, and save the jobs of all TAPS employees.

Contact:     Ricky Burris                Michelle Owens               Chris Van

UFCW Local 1000    UFCW Local 1000          UFCW Local 1000

President                      Attorney                           Attorney

817-421-1003          615-300-8546                615-417-4141