Updates

UPDATE: November 4

In the news: ‘Reform Candidate Says UFCW Rep Tailed Him for 300 Miles to Thwart Petition Effort’

Local 8 staff member Jeff Berns — the brother of the election chairperson — followed Eric Marcuz, candidate with the At What Cost slate, for 7 hours and 300 miles while he was campaigning.

Berns, along with John Micheletti and two other Local 8 union reps spent their day chasing and harassing Eric and other slate members. They could have spent that time helping members. Instead, they spent their day chasing a union member to intimidate him.

Jeff Berns was paid $131,000 with our union dues last year. Is this where our money is going?

The truth is, they’re trying to scare us because they’re scared of members finally having a say in our own union. We don’t back down.

UPDATE: October 26

Read the article in Labor Notes about Jacques Loveall’s corruption and the sham merger attempt.

Read the article here.

October 22: After a federal agent from the Department of Labor began investigating the sham merger, UFCW Local 8-GS now claims our election will proceed as usual. The At What Cost campaign is continuing to monitor the situation and fight to protect our election.

Read our letter to Local 8-GS, the UFCW International, and the Department of Labor for more details here.

UFCW Local 8-GS announced a proposed merger with Staffing Agencies Federated Employees (SAFE), a new organization claiming to represent 9,800 staffing agency workers. If this merger is approved by Local 8-GS members and the UFCW International, it could cancel this year’s election and take away your right to vote.

Don’t Let Them Steal Your Vote

  1. What is SAFE?

    SAFE was formed between late 2025 and early 2026. SAFE’s President is Patricia Schreiter, a relative of UFCW Local 8-GS President Jacques Loveall with no other union connections. Its founding documents were signed by Ellen Anreder, CEO of Bleiweiss Communications, a consulting firm paid over $600,000 each year with your dues money.

  2. Why are they trying to merge?

    Local 8-GS officers are so afraid of YOU having the right to a fair election, they’re trying to merge SAFE into our union to reset the clock on our leadership elections. That would possibly postpone this year’s election until 2029. They tried this trick in 2006, when members ran for office and then-UFCW Local 588 merged with UFCW Local 1288 to form Local 8-GS, canceling that year’s leadership election.

  3. What can I do?

    Keep close watch over your mail for notices from UFCW Local 8-GS on the merger. Our union has not yet announced when the merger vote will take place, so ballots could mail any time. When it comes time to vote, VOTE NO on the merger to protect your right to vote for union leadership.