2026 Program Participants
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Jacques Loveall
President, UFCW 8-Golden State /
V.P. UFCW International Union
Jacques is president of UFCW 8-Golden State and chair of UFCW Trust, which funds pension and health care benefits for 125,000 active workers, dependents and retirees in the food and drug industries. He is a vice president of the UFCW International Union and a vice president of the California Labor Federation. He is also chair of the Loveall Foundation for Children, a nonprofit charity dedicated to helping children reach their full potential.
Bargaining in a New Era:
Strategies for Pressure, Power and Progress
Negotiating a fair contract today requires more than traditional tactics; it demands creativity, solidarity and strategic pressure. This labor leader panel examines how unions are adapting to new challenges at the bargaining table, using workplace actions, member mobilization and public campaigns to shift power and secure gains. Join union leaders as they share lessons learned and bold approaches to bargaining in the modern era.
Moderator: Kirk Vogt
Secretary-Treasurer, UFCW 8-Golden State
Kirk is secretary-treasurer of UFCW 8-Golden State, which represents some 35,000 members who work in grocery and drug stores, food-processing plants and offices from the Oregon border in the north to Kern County in the south. Kirk has extensive experience in collective bargaining and is widely recognized for his high standards of service to Union members, his extraordinary talents as a Union administrator and his detailed knowledge of pension and health & welfare trust funds. Over the years, Kirk served in many positions at UFCW 1288, including administrative assistant to the president, secretary-treasurer, recorder and executive vice president of the retail division. In 2006, when UFCW 1288 merged with UFCW 588 to form UFCW 8-Golden State, Kirk was elevated to the rank of senior executive vice president of the new local and then to secretary-treasurer. Since then, he has been deeply involved in almost every facet of the Union’s leadership, from contract negotiations to organizing to management of pension and health benefits. He serves as a union trustee in the UFCW & Employers Benefit Trust of Northern and Central California and the UFCW-Northern California Employers Joint Pension Trust Fund.
Miles Anderson
President, UFCW Local 880
Miles is president of UFCW Local 880, which represents more than 22,000 workers across Northeast Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.
His union journey began in 1979 working various retail positions – from grocery clerk to department manager – where he witnessed firsthand the importance of worker advocacy.
Drawing from his 45 years of experience, Anderson emphasizes the fundamental importance of genuine service to members: “We need to first understand the value we bring to people’s lives,” he says. “Give us your heart, and that will motivate you to fight when it’s tough out there.”
Joe Duffle
President, UFCW Local 1167
Joe is president of UFCW Local 1167, which represents more than 21,000 members throughout the Inland Empire in Southern California. Prior to being elected president in 2018, he served as secretary-treasurer, organizing and political affairs director, organizer and union representative. He began his grocery career at the age of 15 when he worked for Safeway in Coachella, Calif. By the time he was 18, Joe was asked to work for the UFCW Western States Council, where he was assigned to Local 1167’s market share program. In addition to his duties to Local 1167, Joe serves on the executive council of the California Federation of Labor and is a former president of the Inland Empire Labor Council.
Jim McLaughlin
President, UFCW Local 99
Jim is president of UFCW Local 99, the largest UFCW local union in a right-to-work state with almost 22,000 members. Local 99 spans the entire state of Arizona and also represents members in Utah and New Mexico. He is a vice president of the UFCW International Union and is on the boards of Arizona’s AFL-CIO Executive Council and Labor’s Community Service Agency. In addition, he chairs the Desert States Pension Fund and the UFCW Arizona Health and Welfare Fund.
Dan Pedersen
President, UFCW Local 876
Dan is president of UFCW Local 876, which represents 18,000-plus members throughout the state of Michigan. He was elected as president after being with the local for more than 16 years, during which time Dan served in such roles as member services representative, business agent and secretary-treasurer. In addition to his daily duties, Dan serves on the boards of UFCW United Latinos, the UFCW National Pension Fund and the Heartland United Health and Welfare Fund, and is a trustee on VAPP. Recently, he was the constitutional chair for the 2023 UFCW International Convention, and led the UFCW’s efforts in Michigan to overturn Right-to-Work. His most recent achievement is being elected to the International union’s executive board as an international vice president.
Proactive Power:
Meeting the Moment with Clarity, Care and Courage
In today’s fast-moving landscape, the need for union leaders to be responsive is as crucial as ever. This labor leader panel explores how local unions can identify timely issues, communicate protections effectively and create systems of support that members can rely on in moments of uncertainty.
Moderator: Amber Parrish
Executive Director, UFCW Western States Council
Amber is executive director of the UFCW Western States Council, which represents 185,000 UFCW members who work in California, Arizona and Nevada. Amber leads the UFCW’s political and legislative efforts in states affiliated with the council. Prior to the Western States Council, she served as political director for the San Francisco Labor Council for more than eight years. Amber was instrumental in building a strategic organization designed to grow support for the contract, bargaining and organizing goals of affiliates while developing and implementing political field and data operations. She also worked with Noreen Evans in her bid for the State Assembly in Northern California as campaign director and then district director once Evans was elected.
Justin Adrian
Business Representative, IUOE Local 501
Justin is a business representative with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 501. The union represents more than 12,000 members in the private sector who work in stadiums, large facilities and office spaces. Local 501’s members perform a variety of jobs, from plumbing to maintenance to engineering in work sites in California from the Mexican border to Bakersfield. Its jurisdiction also covers Las Vegas and the state of Arizona.
Justin’s main priority is to ensure the members of his union have a voice at the bargaining table during contract negotiations and throughout the year at quarterly meetings with shop stewards and employers.
Laura Kelley
President, UFCW Local 655
Laura has been a proud union partner of UFCW Local 655 for 27 years. She spent 10 years of her 18-year career at Shop-N-Save as a union steward and was a Local 655 Executive Board member for three years. In 2015, Kelley became the first openly gay person hired as a union representative at Local 655. In 2022, she became assistant to the president. On Sept. 5, she made history as the local’s first elected female and openly 2SLGBTQ+ president. Laura is co-chair for OUTreach (UFCW’s 2SLGBTQ+ constituency group) and is the lead for their education program. By her side the entire time has been Laura’s wife, Kathryn, whom she has happily been partnered with for 29 years. Unionism is a religion to Laura, one she truly BELIEVES in.
Turning Workplace Friction Into Performance
Fotini Iconomopoulos
Fotini is a globally recognized strategic communication expert who helps leaders turn workplace friction into performance. Fotini gives audiences practical tools for navigating tension, strengthening credibility and leading decisively. With her sharp insights, wit and engaging storytelling, Fotini shows leaders how to turn difficult conversations into opportunities for stronger relationships and better results.
The Success Secrets & Science of Body Language
Kristin Bock
Kristin is a professional speaker and charisma consultant who helps people become “Social Legos,” people who naturally click with others. A body language expert and TEDx speaker coach, Kristin teaches professionals how to read unspoken cues, build trust and communicate with confidence both online and in person.