UFCW elects Esther López as International Secretary-Treasurer, Shaun Barclay as Executive VP

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Esther López - International Secretary-Treasurer

Phoenix, Arizona – February 3, 2016 – The UFCW International Executive Board has elected Esther López as the new International Secretary-Treasurer, and Shaun Barclay as a new Executive Vice President.

Esther López has worked tirelessly for decades on behalf of immigrants and all families seeking a better life. Sister López began with the UFCW in November 2006 when she was hired as Director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department. During her tenure, Sister López has helped lead the UFCW’s groundbreaking outreach effort to the Latino and immigrant communities, and is recognized as a national leader in the areas of immigration reform, as well as civil, human, and labor rights. She also oversaw the launch of the UFCW’s first-ever LGBT constituency group – OUTreach.

To help provide hope to immigrant workers, Sister López also launched a groundbreaking program to ensure that eligible UFCW members were first in line to apply for citizenship. Prior to that, she spearheaded the Union Citizenship Action Network, also known as UCAN, to help UFCW members become naturalized and get on a path to citizenship.

"Esther believes, as I do, that our nation’s diversity is our strength; that we must grow our union family; and that by working together, we will provide a better life to all of our incredible members," said Marc Perrone, International President of the United Food & Commercial Workers Union. “It is why I’m so proud to announce that the UFCW International Executive Board elected Esther López as our union family’s new International Secretary-Treasurer.”

The election of Sister López and Brother Barclay took place at the UFCW International Executive Board meetings being held this week in Phoenix.

With his election as Executive Vice President, Brother Shaun Barclay joins the International Executive Board Committee, which includes International President Marc Perrone; Secretary-Treasurer López; UFCW Executive Vice President and UFCW Canada National President Paul Meinema; and UFCW Executive Vice President and President of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Stuart Applebaum.

Shaun Barclay - Executive Vice President

Shaun Barclay has been a member of UFCW for over four decades, serving as a shop steward, bargaining committee member, strike captain, UFCW staff organizer, local union president, Executive Assistant to the Director of Organizing, and Regional Director for the Western States.

Executive Vice President Barclay made enormous contributions to UFCW's growth over the last three decades, as he was responsible for expanding UFCW Local 99 from 6,000 to 12,000 members, making it the largest private sector union in Arizona. Brother Barclay also led an organizing drive that successfully unionized 56 stores in less than two years,and during his time as Director of Region 5 in Texas, Shaun and his staff helped organize the first Wal-Mart meat department in America. Executive Vice President Barclay is now leading the UFCW’s national growth efforts as Director of Organizing.

"Congratulations to Sister Esther López and Brother Shaun Barclay. Their election is tremendously good news for the UFCW family, including UFCW Canada members and Local Unions," says UFCW Canada National President Paul Meinema. "They both bring courage and commitment to supporting the rights and hopes of everyday working families, and opening the door to the yet-to-be organized," Meinema adds.