October 5, 2016 – As we head into October, we are excited to be able to announce some new additions to our UFCW family. In September, a group of health care providers working at Consulate Health Care in Pensacola, Fla. decided together to take the first step towards a better life and a better workplace by joining the RWDSU/UFCW Mid-South Council. The hard-working employees – all women – wanted fair schedules they could plan their lives around, and to feel heard and respected at work. (more…)
Local 1059 American Red Cross Workers Ratify First Union Contract
On August 17, the hard-working men and women of the American Red Cross (ARC) Blood Manufacturing Lab in Columbus, Ohio, ratified their first union contract. The 80 workers are members of UFCW Local 1059.
The two-year contract includes wage increases and an improved healthcare package.
“I can’t believe how much better life will be now that we have a contract,” said ARC worker Brian Boxill. “And it all started with one phone call.”
New NLRB Rule Makes it Easier to Organize Workers
On July 11, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a ruling that will make it easier for unions to organize bargaining units. The ruling stipulates that bargaining units can include the user employer’s employees, those employees who work for the owner of the business located at the facility, as well as supplier employees, or those employees who work at the user company but are supplied by other employers. (more…)
LabCorp President & CEO, David King, sells off over $25,000,000 in Stock
David King, the LabCorp President & CEO sold 196,400 shares of Laboratory Corp Of America Holdings worth exactly $25,139,148 USD, at average stock price per share of $128.
Laboratory Corp. of America Looks Pretty Healthy
By Chris Laudani – Jun 02, 2016 | 11:00 AM EDT — Laboratory Corp. of America (LH) bought contract-research firm Covance for $5.7 billion last year, and 2016 could be the year where the deal really begins to pay off. (more…)
Lab stocks Quest, LabCorp shine as testing outlook brightens
Reuters – May 31, 2016 7:00 AM — By Lewis Krauskopf
NEW YORK, May 31 (Reuters) – Shares of Quest Diagnostics and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings have been on a roll as analysts point to improving business trends for the U.S. clinical-lab testing industry stalwarts.
Their share gains have also come as a competitive threat from Theranos, an upstart rival in the sector, appears to have diminished. Next, the shares face a test of their own: an impending Medicare reimbursement decision.
(more…)
A Good Start to 2016: UFCW Announces 100 Organizing Wins in 100 Days
On May 6, the UFCW announced its 100th organizing campaign win of 2016. UFCW’s 100 wins in 100 days reflects the frustration and economic pressure felt by hard-working people across this country as more and more of them look to unions for relief. Workers in 26 states have already joined the UFCW this year, and over 50 percent of UFCW locals have had successful organizing drives.
Wealth inequality has become a dominant issue in this year’s presidential primaries. In both parties, large crowds of voters assembled for candidates campaigning on a message of economic populism. Concurrently, UFCW field organizers saw that same enthusiasm cross over into their campaigns, and increased attention to wages and inequality has motivated people to become UFCW members.
“A national conversation about wealth inequality is occurring in packing houses and on the floors of retail stores all over the country,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone. “The UFCW has 100 examples of how these conversations are moving workers to form a union and take action. Workers are realizing that partnering with an established union can help secure the wages and benefits that put them on a path to a better life.”
Source: www.ufcw.org
Quest profits jump by 67% in Q1
Quest Diagnostics’ profits soared in the first quarter as the company doubled down on its core business of diagnostic lab services.
The Madison, N.J.-based company reported profits of $102 million, up 67%. The strong numbers come as the company embarks on a number of major lab partnerships with hospitals, including a lab management deal with Barnabas Health and the acquisition of the lab outreach business of Hartford HealthCare. (more…)
LabCorp (LH) Tops Q1 Earnings and Sales, Raises Guidance
Zacks By Zacks Equity Research
April 25, 2016 — Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings LH or LabCorp released consolidated first-quarter 2016 results, including that of Covance, which it acquired in Feb 2015. The company reported a solid quarter with adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.02, up 14.8% from the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EPS also exceeded the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.1%.
On a reported basis, LabCorp’s net earnings came in at $160.2 million or $1.55 per share against $3.1 million or 4 cents per share a year ago.
Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/labcorp-lh-tops-q1-earnings-140202812.html
Quest Diagnostics Workers Vote to Join UFCW Locals 135 and 1167
Quest Diagnostics workers across 10 different locations around the San Diego area voted to join UFCW Locals 135 and 1167. Workers from four locations will be UFCW Local 135 members and workers at the other six locations will be part of UFCW Local 1167. Better wages and respect on the job are some of the top priorities for workers. The workers join a growing movement of phlebotomist and lab technicians who have come together from the Northwest to the Southwest to raise standards in the health care industry.
“I voted yes because I wanted fairness and peace of mind in the workplace. The company tried to misinform us with false information about joining a union in an attempt to confuse us and prevent us from following through. Winning the union election felt so surreal. Although I knew we would win, I still couldn’t believe that we had finally acheived something that should have been done long ago. It was definitely a great feeling,” said Erica Torres, a PSR II from the Riverside worksite.
“I voted to make a better future for myself, my coworkers, and phelbs to come. We are all worth fighting for. It may seem hard or scary, but it will make a brighter future in the long run,” said Nichole Nicholson from the Moreno Valley, Heacock worksite.
“I voted to join a union because we needed to have a voice. For many years I allowed my employer to intimidate and mistreat me. Winning the union election was definitely a life changing experience. Being part of a union has made me realize that we have rights and we have a voice. It makes me feel protected and I now sleep better at night knowing that I’m on the path to have a better quality of life for me and my family,” said Mayra Castillo from the Hemet work site.
Quest Diagnostics is a leading diagnostics services provider in oncology and genetics. Quest Diagnostics annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and has 45,000 employees. Given the company’s prominence, workers hope that through the growing power of their combined voice, Quest Diagnostics workers will be able to influence and improve standards for workers throughout the industry.
Phlebotomist and lab technicians across the Northwest and Southwest began voting to join the UFCW after a chance encounter with their unionized counterparts in Washington state. With the encouragement and support of their coworkers, these workers are coming together and finding their voice.
Source: ufcw.org
