UFCW 655 organizes first Dollar General in America

Historic 66% vote is ‘positive sign’

Auxvasse, MO – Organizing history was made in Missouri recently when UFCW Local 655 organized the first Dollar General store in America.

“These hard-working men and women voted for a better life,” said Local 655 President David Cook. “They voted for the union difference, which means a voice at work, better wages and benefits, and the power of uniting with their co-workers.”

The 66 percent vote for Local 655 made that clear, Cook said. “Dollar General workers felt uniting with the union is the road to achieving the American dream of becoming a solid part of the working middle class,” he said

“I believe this is a positive sign for Missouri when middle class workers everywhere go to the polls next year to defeat the phony ‘right-to-work (for less)’ law that ill-informed legislators are tying to force onto Missouri workers,” Cook added.

Local 655 will now reach out to Dollar General to begin negotiations. However, if true to form, the company will stall as long as they can. “We will evaluate next steps,” a Dollar General statement said after the vote.

MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD

But the workers are not cowed.

“We all love working here and it’s a fun place to work, we enjoy the customers and we like Dollar General,” employee Adam Price said in an interview on KOMU-TV news in Columbia after the vote.

“It doesn’t hurt to have more money in our paychecks… but we (also) want to have our voice heard so that we can have a more consistent, fair competitive pay and environment to work in.”

LOCAL 655: HERE TO HELP

“If an employee wants to better the lives of themselves and their co-workers, UFCW Local 655 will always be there to help,” said Director of Organizing Billy Myers, who attended the vote.

“People need to stand up and believe they’re worth more.”