Protecting workers since 1934

UFCW Local 655 represents nearly 7,000 grocery store workers at major grocery stores such as Schnucks, Dierbergs, Straubs, and Kroger.‍ ‍We work with our partners to get them the wages and benefits they deserve — all backed by a union contract.

We believe that ALL grocery workers are essential and always have been. From butchers to produce clerks to cashiers, the people working in our grocery stores and distribution centers are on the front lines, keeping our families fed.

Despite their importance to our communities, some grocery companies have turned the industry into a race to the bottom, leaving workers with low wages, a lack of benefits, and inadequate schedules. 

UFCW Local 655 believes it’s time for these employers to do the right thing and provide wages, benefits, and schedules that strengthen workers, families, and communities.

We believe that one good job should be enough to live on — that grocery workers should never have to struggle to pay rent or meet basic needs. We know that when we all come together, we have the power to get the respect and dignity we deserve and hold employers accountable.

UFCW packing and processing workers contribute to our national food chain more than you might think – whether it’s at Tyson’s, Cargill, JBS, Hormel, Smithfield or UFCW Local 655’s partner Holten Meat, it’s the hard work of UFCW members behind the scenes that helps put some of our nation’s favorite foods on the kitchen table.

With their union, UFCW packing and processing staff aren’t just keeping our communities fed: they’re also fighting hard to raise the bar for the way food processing staff should be paid, treated, and supported on the job. Meatpackers and processing workers who’ve unionized with UFCW have won strong contracts with better wages, a wide range of benefits, and safer, more consistent working conditions. 

The union difference in the packing and processing industry is clear, and UFCW Local 655 is here to support packinghouse workers who are ready to turn their jobs into great careers.

The retail sector is a growth industry, and it’s essential that we turn retail jobs into good, middle-class jobs with fair scheduling practices for the sake of our communities, economy, and country.

Retail companies are the largest source of private-sector employers in the economy. It is the third-largest industry employing women, behind the healthcare industry and educational institutions, and the second-largest industry for people of color, behind the healthcare industry. While the retail sector continues to add jobs to the economy, many of these positions are low-wage, part-time, and high-turnover.

Between 1990 and 2014, real wages for retail workers barely increased or, in many cases, actually decreased. After adjusting for inflation, the average wage at apparel stores fell one percent (from $12.12 to $12.01), and the average wage at general merchandise stores fell seven percent (from $12.36 to $11.51).

But some retail workers have decided to get together and take a different path. One of the best ways to raise wages in retail is through joining a union. The average department store salesperson working full-time earns $2.60 more per hour, or $5,400 more per year, if they belong to a union. (BBNA, 2014 Union Membership and Earnings Data Book). In addition to fighting for better wages, the UFCW is also fighting for greater control of and predictability in scheduling.

Irresponsible employers try to manipulate hours to cut benefits, suppress workers’ access to adequate income, and narrow retail workers' ability to move up the economic ladder. Workers shouldn’t have to deal with this kind of insecurity on a day-to-day basis, especially when they’re the ones keeping stores running and bringing in profit for their companies. 

Having a union in our retail stores can help protect against inconsistent schedules, benefit reductions, and stagnant wages. That’s why retail workers at major companies like Zara, H&M, Lush, IKEA, and Macy’s are coming together to form unions with the help of UFCW.

As a whole, the UFCW represents over 55,000 health care professionals who are employed in hospitals and assisted living facilities across the country, including registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, transport and food service workers, dietary assistants, professional and technical staff, maintenance workers, and housekeepers.  

Local 655 has a proud history of negotiating strong contracts for our partners in the health care industry that include quality raises and cost-of-living increases, fair paid time off and a sick leave system, safe staffing levels, and respect and transparency from management.

These contracts enable hard-working individuals to provide the best patient care while being fairly compensated with the wages and benefits they need to care for their own families.

At the UFCW, we understand that pharmacy workers play a crucial role in ensuring the health and well-being of our communities. That’s why Local 655 is proud to be the union representing our local CVS pharmacies in Schnucks grocery stores. The international union represents pharmacy workers across the country at Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid, Duane Reade, Albertsons, Kroger, and more! Whether you’re a pharmacist, technician, sales associate, stocker, or any other vital member of your pharmacy, the UFCW is here to support you.

We know that the strength of our union lies in the collective power of the pharmacy workers who have built it. When you stand together, you’re not only protecting your rights, but also creating a better future for your profession and the customers you serve. By joining forces, you have the ability to negotiate for fair wages, better benefits, sufficient staffing, and safer working conditions. It’s your unity that drives positive change in your workplace.

When you start a union at your pharmacy, you and your coworkers are joining a movement of workers dedicated to making a difference in their workplaces and communities. Together, we can create a better future for pharmacy workers and ensure you have the resources and benefits you need to provide the best care.

For more than a decade, the UFCW has been proud to help lead the development and stabilization of the emerging cannabis industry through our innovative Cannabis Workers Rising campaign. 

As a whole, UFCW represents tens of thousands of cannabis workers across the US in dispensaries, labs, delivery, kitchens, manufacturing, processing, grow facilities, and more — helping workers secure better wages, protection from unfair discipline, and great benefits with a union contract.

When you have a union at your dispensary, grow facility, kitchen, or lab, you’re empowered to do your best work. You can come to work knowing that your job is secure, and you get to negotiate the protections and benefits you need to thrive on the job. 

Forming a union helps ensure that you and your coworkers get respect for all the value you bring to your job, and we’re here to help you get started!

The UFCW partners with cannabis workers, patients, consumers, community allies, elected officials, and business owners to achieve the shared goals of creating an industry with family-sustaining jobs and a focus on social equity. Through these partnerships and worker organizing, we have been able to set high standards throughout the industry in our union contracts. 

We have been a key leader in coalitions and advocacy groups that work for real change at all levels of policy and have been instrumental in advocating for the good jobs provided by the medical and adult-use cannabis industry. By crafting and supporting targeted legislative efforts and negotiating the best contracts for workers, we’ve been able to set high standards throughout the industry.