Talks between the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the grocery chains they have been fighting in southern California for four months-Vons/Pavillions, Albertson, and Ralphs-stalled the week before Christmas.

President Bush recently proposed a new temporary worker program, describing it as part of a scheme of “fair and secure immigration reform.” However, as observed by numerous immigrant and worker organizations, this program does nothing to meet the real and pressing needs of the millions of undocumented workers who live and work in the United States.

In their trek across the country this past September, over 1,000 immigrant workers and their allies demonstrated in 116 U.S. cities during the Immigrant Worker’s Freedom Ride demanding equal workplace rights and immigration reform.

When workers in a union organizing drive take up the cause of building their union from the bottom up and confront management head-on, it can be the foundation for creating democratic and active local unions.