National Voter Registration Day 2025 is quickly approaching on September 16th! For union members, registering to vote is an essential step in ensuring our voices are heard, both in the workplace and beyond. We recognize that our collective power is not only in negotiating for improved wages, benefits, and working conditions but also in actively engaging in the political arena. Elections shape policies that influence labor laws, workers' rights, the economy, and more. By registering to vote, union members guarantee that they have a direct impact on these decisions, from local elections to national contests that can shape the future of the labor movement.

Today, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) announced the ratification of the very first union contract at GrowNYC. The three-year agreement will cover over a hundred workers at the large-scale non-profit across 60+ locations in all five boroughs of New York City who work at the organization's greenmarkets and farmstands, as well as in its teaching garden, warehouse and headquarters. The union first won voluntary recognition back on May 16, 2023 making this a significant milestone in resolving many issues and paving the way for lasting improvements.

Lawmakers in Washington, D.C., have pushed through a sweeping bill that promises to “streamline the economy” and “cut red tape.” But behind the catchy slogans and grandstanding, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” poses serious threats to everyday working people. Across our industries RWDSU members, their families and communities will be impacted.

Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), and REI Co-op announced progress on several key topics, including an agreement to establish a national bargaining structure to inform store-level collective bargaining agreements for the 11 unionized REI stores. The agreement comes after joint meetings were held July 28-30 in Chicago, Ill.