Staying Power: The Value of Seniority
UFCW 401 Celebrates a Long-Standing Member, and Vows to Renew our Shop Steward Program.
We recently had the opportunity to honour the record and commemorate the retirement of Perry Brown at Agropur, one of Local 401’s longest-standing members.
Perry has been a member at Agropur for fifty years. For forty of those years, he has served as a Shop Steward, and has also been on our negotiating committee for several years. It’s a remarkable record that all of us at UFCW Local 401 take pride in celebrating.
“We believe strongly in the value of seniority as a union principle,” says President Hesse. “Seniority isn’t just about being around. It’s about standing proud through thick and thin, about being there through hard times in one’s life and the life of the company, about being able to train other staff in the nuances of the job. Seniority is staying power.”
“This kind of long-term service has a special kind of value in a world where we’re bombarded by thousands of competing messages every day,” adds Secretary-Treasurer Stewart: “It provides a steadfast beacon of inspiration when we’re otherwise being tugged in multiple different directions at once.”
Rejuvenating and Renewing the Steward Program
As we honour Perry for being a Steward through such a wide variety of environments and situations over the decades, we’re also thinking about our active stewards as they prepare to confront the most challenging period of bargaining in the history of our Local.
“We’re currently reviewing our Shop Steward system to modernize it and ensure that stewards have the necessary tools for today’s environment,” says President Hesse. “This process of rejuvenation and renewal will be key to making sure we’re ready for any situation that our members face in the process of major bargaining.”
“We’re grateful to long-serving members like Perry who provide an example for all stewards,” adds Treasurer Stewart. “And your union is looking forward to working with all our members to initiate a new path forward.”
Stay tuned for more information about our developing Shop Steward program! And if you’re a member with significant seniority who is considering retirement, make sure to let us know so that we can acknowledge and commemorate your career.
In solidarity,
Your Union
UFCW Local 401
Posted on: July 23,2025