BNA's Daily Labor Report (subscription) reports that delegates to the UFCW convention are in the process of adopting numerous constitutional amendments to implement a "unity agenda" -- a plan to centralize more power in the hands of the International Union for the purpose of greatly increasing its membership. In fact, UFCW President Joe Hansen has proclaimed that the agenda will take the Union's membership roles -- currently at 1.3 million members -- to 3 million members within the next decade.

As per BNA:

"The UFCW is not, and cannot be a collection of disjointed local unions," [Hansen] said. "Every local union has a stake in the success of every other local union. Every member has a vested interest in the contracts of every other member, and every worker in our industries has an important investment in the well-being of every other worker. We must have a program that unites us together, that combines our resources, that has a strategic plan to guarantee that we coordinate our actions and build our strength. That is the one union, one voice program."

As part of this agenda, the convention delegates have identified as UFCW's core industries: retail food, other retail, food processing, and manufacturing. Additional resolutions have been adopted to increase the percentage of revenue it is currently spending on organizing from 50 to 66 percent, and directing locals to increase budget lines dedicated to organizing. A resolution to raise individual members’ dues as much as $3.00 per month over the next few years is also likely to pass.