PLYMOUTH MEETING – (02/07/2017) Wendell W. Young IV, President of UFCW Local 1776, urged lawmakers to support Governor Tom Wolf’s proposals to increase the minimum wage, close corporate tax loopholes and make state government more efficient without sacrificing vital services and investments in our public schools.

“This is a blueprint that makes sense for all Pennsylvanians, including the 21,000 hard working men and women who make up our union,” Young said. “It is time that the state maximize the value of its assets, including our wine and spirits shops, and it is long past time that the shale drillers and major corporations pay their fair share.”

Young noted that the governor’s budget calls for a larger contribution from the PLCB to the state next year.

“The fact is that the PLCB last year returned nearly $584 million in taxes, profits and other transfers to taxpayers,” Young said. “We believe that we can build on that track record so long as the legislature provides us with the necessary tools to make this valuable asset deliver a greater return.”

UFCW Local 1776 represents over 21,000 members in the private and public sectors in Pennsylvania and neighboring states in retail, food processing, manufacturing, Wine and Spirits stores, health care, and professional services.