July 13, 2005

The Executive Board ot the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1116 has appointed Steve Gilbertson to fill out the two and a half years remaining in the open term for president.  Lane Harstad, who had occupied that position, has accepted a job with the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service in the Twin Cities.

Steve Gilbertson

Gilbertson, 51, is a Minesota native who rose through the ranks after being a Fur & Leather Workers Union shop floor worker in Red Wing, Minnesota at S.B. Foot Tanning Company.  His union merged with others to form UFCW in 1979.

He has been a union representative for Local 1116 for five years after having held similar positions with UFCW Local 789 in St. Paul and UFCW Local 335 in Red Wing. 

A long time Wisconsin resident, Gilbertson said he hopes to improve the retirement plans for the 5,000 members of the local.

"We have Taft-Hartley pension and health and welfare plans that we need to make sure are fiscallly sound," he said.  "But we also need to move our members' families forward and we hope to do that through education and participation."  To that end he says he plans to begin by having the Executive Board, which has representatives from a number of sectors and geographical areas, more involved in day-to-day operations.

One of the first problems he's had to face is the closing of the Jubliee supermarket in Superior, which will put almost 50 of his members out of work.

"That closing is a direct result of the Wal-Mart Super Center opening in Superior," Gilbertson said.  "Wal-Mart's uncontrolled growth with no accountability and few employee benefits is putting good employers out of business.  Almost all our members at Jubilee had health and welfare coverage and pensions."

Labor World Newspaper.  Page 5.  July 13, 2005