Washington, D.C. – December 22, 2014 – To the hard working men and women of the UFCW:

I am so incredibly honored to be your new International President. But this election is not about me, it is about the future we must and can build together.

The choice we face, brothers and sisters, is what kind of society do we want to live in?

Will we stand united together and build an economy that every hard-working family deserves, or watch as more working families fall further behind and struggle to make ends meet?

Let me be clear, we will unite and fight for a more just and fair society.

I believe in this union, because I believe that every worker has the right to a decent living, a reliable schedule, quality affordable health care, and respect on the job. These principles have always guided me and will serve as the foundation of our union’s work going forward.

But the ideas and principles to build a stronger union do not lie within any one individual. They lie within all of us. They lie in the collective wisdom and strength of 1.3 million UFCW members, like you, who work hard every day to support their families.

I want to hear your ideas and vision. I want to hear what you think we must do to become even stronger.

Over the coming weeks and months, I plan to meet with members like you. I want to visit your worksite and local union hall, engage in a conversation, and hear your thoughts on how we can better the lives of everyone in the UFCW and the millions of workers all across this nation who go without voice.

Working together, we will grow our union, we will bargain the best contracts possible, we will organize smarter, and we will hold irresponsible corporations accountable.

I do not want to pretend this will be easy. It will be hard. It will be challenging. But I know we can do it.

No matter the challenges we may face, I will be your ally and champion each and every day.

In solidarity,

Marc Perrone
UFCW International President