New to 555?
We are glad you're here!
Are you...
A new member?
If so, welcome to the biggest private sector union in the state! Thanks for adding your voice to ours, making us even stronger. Here’s a quick overview of things to know to get you started.
A returning member?
We are so glad to have you back with us, and congrats on returning to a job that provides you with union benefits! If you received a withdrawal card when you left, here’s an overview of potential action items for you to take upon rejoining. {link down to anchor for returning member checkbox section further down this page}
If you did NOT receive a withdrawal card, you will rejoin Local 555 as if you were a new member.
As a NEW MEMBER, be sure to:
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Fill out your application (PDF) (if you haven’t already)
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Make sure we have your correct contact information
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Confirm that you know who your Union Rep is and how to contact them. If you have a Shop Steward in your store, make sure you know that person as well.
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Plan to attend a New Member Meeting to learn more about what to expect, how to be an active participant in Local 555, and to receive your New Member credit if you qualify.
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Make sure you know your rights!
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Sign up to contribute to the ABC (if you did not already do so on your application). This is optional, but very important. Here’s why!
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Request a copy of your contract to familiarize yourself with your benefits.
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Learn how your union can help you explore further educational opportunities
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Consider future opportunities to get more involved
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Last but not least: like our Facebook page to stay in touch with your union brethren!
As a RETURNING MEMBER, you need to:
be aware of ways in which your seniority does and does not reset. Also, be sure to:
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Fill out a new application (even if you had one on file from your previous time with UFCW Local 555)
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Make sure we have your correct contact information
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Confirm that you know who your Union Rep is and how to contact them. Do you also know your Shop Steward? (If your store doesn’t have one…have you considered becoming one?)
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Plan to attend a Quarterly Meeting to get back up to date with the latest at Local 555. Please be aware that returning members do NOT qualify for New Member credit for attending a New Member Meeting, assuming you took the step of acquiring a withdrawal card. That’s because the New Member credit is designed to help offset the initiation fee, which you are not subject to as a returning member in good standing.
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Reacquaint yourself with your rights!
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Make sure you’re contributing to the ABC. As you may remember, this is optional, but very important. Here’s why!
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Request a copy of your contract to familiarize yourself with your benefits.
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Learn how your union can help you explore further educational opportunities
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Like our Facebook page if you haven’t already!
One of the most common concerns as a returning member is whether you retain your seniority, vacation status, and health insurance eligibility. Generally speaking, these things depend on continuous employment with the same employer. (It is a completely different situation than your union benefits.)
How this affects your opportunities within the workplace is dependent on your employer’s policies.Here are a few examples. These are JUST examples: your specific situation may vary depending on your contract or your employer’s policies.
- If you’ve severed employment, your seniority ends there and you start fresh on all fronts once you return.
- If you sever employment but return within a year, the one element that you WILL keep is called a prior experience credit. This means that if you’ve worked your way up to a certain point on the apprentice scales before leaving and you return within a year, you start where you left off on the scales.
- If you were to be away from work for any approved Leave of Absence and return at the end of that leave, then all your seniority remains intact.
- If you transferred within the same employer between a union job and a non-union job (in other words, if you had to leave the union but did not leave the employer), you would retain seniority for everything, including vacation and health insurance eligibility.