Meet UFCW Local 663

Antonio Jimenez (He/Him)

Vice President

Antonio moved to the U.S. in 1995 from Jalisco, Mexico. He’s worked since 1996 worked at JBS. He began in the night ham division and in 2002, began the day shift in long boning. He’s been on the E-Board since 2018, and a steward for 13 years. Antonio’s union activism began when he began helping out a union steward years ago. The union steward didn’t know English at the time, while Antonio understood a little bit, so he began helping others be understood. Meat Packing Director Mike Potter saw that he was helping others, and Antonio became a steward too. Antonio says, “I like to help others, and I don’t like to see when people are treated bad because they don’t know English. I like that as a union, we are stronger now because we didn’t have power back then like we do now.” He and his wife and four children live in Worthington.

Courtney Huber (She/Her)

Recording Secretary

Courtney began her grocery industry career in 2001 at Rainbow foods and worked just about every position within its’ walls. Many times she travelled to other stores helping to price during audits and remodels. Always making sure to vote on her contracts, Courtney began to attend union meetings, and gives credit to another longtime union member, Lori Wayman, for encouraging Huber’s union activism. Courtney has sat on three negotiating committees since 2010--most recently in 2018 where she was a part of the negotiating committee with President Utecht that was able to secure historic contract gains for members. Huber is inspired by new organizing and was able to be a part of testifying at City Hall for $15 an hour minimum wage as well as participated in Seward Co-op’s March on the Boss. She looks forward to continuing to grow and strengthen Local 663.

Michael Karnes (He/Him)

Vice President

Antonio Jimenez (He/Him)

Vice President

Antonio moved to the U.S. in 1995 from Jalisco, Mexico. He’s worked since 1996 worked at JBS. He began in the night ham division and in 2002, began the day shift in long boning. He’s been on the E-Board since 2018, and a steward for 13 years. Antonio’s union activism began when he began helping out a union steward years ago. The union steward didn’t know English at the time, while Antonio understood a little bit, so he began helping others be understood. Meat Packing Director Mike Potter saw that he was helping others, and Antonio became a steward too. Antonio says, “I like to help others, and I don’t like to see when people are treated bad because they don’t know English. I like that as a union, we are stronger now because we didn’t have power back then like we do now.” He and his wife and four children live in Worthington.

Courtney Huber (She/Her)

Recording Secretary

Courtney began her grocery industry career in 2001 at Rainbow foods and worked just about every position within its’ walls. Many times she travelled to other stores helping to price during audits and remodels. Always making sure to vote on her contracts, Courtney began to attend union meetings, and gives credit to another longtime union member, Lori Wayman, for encouraging Huber’s union activism. Courtney has sat on three negotiating committees since 2010--most recently in 2018 where she was a part of the negotiating committee with President Utecht that was able to secure historic contract gains for members. Huber is inspired by new organizing and was able to be a part of testifying at City Hall for $15 an hour minimum wage as well as participated in Seward Co-op’s March on the Boss. She looks forward to continuing to grow and strengthen Local 663.

Michael Karnes (He/Him)

Vice President

Dan Lenway (He/Him)

Advisory Committee & Union Walking Steward at Hormel

Claudia Ambriz (She/Her)

Vice President & Union Walking Steward at QPP

Kristine Foslien (She/Her)

Vice President

Antonio Jimenez (He/Him)

Vice President

Antonio moved to the U.S. in 1995 from Jalisco, Mexico. He’s worked since 1996 worked at JBS. He began in the night ham division and in 2002, began the day shift in long boning. He’s been on the E-Board since 2018, and a steward for 13 years. Antonio’s union activism began when he began helping out a union steward years ago. The union steward didn’t know English at the time, while Antonio understood a little bit, so he began helping others be understood. Meat Packing Director Mike Potter saw that he was helping others, and Antonio became a steward too. Antonio says, “I like to help others, and I don’t like to see when people are treated bad because they don’t know English. I like that as a union, we are stronger now because we didn’t have power back then like we do now.” He and his wife and four children live in Worthington.

Courtney Huber (She/Her)

Recording Secretary

Courtney began her grocery industry career in 2001 at Rainbow foods and worked just about every position within its’ walls. Many times she travelled to other stores helping to price during audits and remodels. Always making sure to vote on her contracts, Courtney began to attend union meetings, and gives credit to another longtime union member, Lori Wayman, for encouraging Huber’s union activism. Courtney has sat on three negotiating committees since 2010--most recently in 2018 where she was a part of the negotiating committee with President Utecht that was able to secure historic contract gains for members. Huber is inspired by new organizing and was able to be a part of testifying at City Hall for $15 an hour minimum wage as well as participated in Seward Co-op’s March on the Boss. She looks forward to continuing to grow and strengthen Local 663.

Michael Karnes (He/Him)

Vice President

Dan Lenway (He/Him)

Advisory Committee & Union Walking Steward at Hormel

Claudia Ambriz (She/Her)

Vice President & Union Walking Steward at QPP

Kristine Foslien (She/Her)

Vice President

Jessica Hayssen (She/Her)

Communications Director & Vice President

Jessica Hayssen joined the UFCW Local 663 family in 2017 and is proud to amplify the stories of the hard work that Local 663 members do and how they give back to the community. She believes that the power of our stories can be used to create better workplaces and communities. Jessica has held previous positions at the Minnesota AFL-CIO and AFSCME Council 5 standing up for hard working union families. She’s stood shoulder to shoulder with locked out sugar beet workers in western MN and went to jail for justice in solidarity with those who fight for $15 an hour at the MSP airport. She was a founding member of the national AFL-CIO Young Workers’ Advisory Council and founded Minnesota Young Workers as well as Minnesota Union Women’s’ groups. She is a long serving board member on the Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Committee. Jessica finds inspiration in people’s lives, because our lives and our families are what drives us to build better lives. Our story is about coming together through collective bargaining to live our values. Jessica lives in south Minneapolis with a brilliant daughter and loyal Boston Terrier named Oliver.

German Muñoz (He/Him)

Vice President

Kodzo Kudatsi (He/Him)

Vice President

Antonio Jimenez (He/Him)

Vice President

Antonio moved to the U.S. in 1995 from Jalisco, Mexico. He’s worked since 1996 worked at JBS. He began in the night ham division and in 2002, began the day shift in long boning. He’s been on the E-Board since 2018, and a steward for 13 years. Antonio’s union activism began when he began helping out a union steward years ago. The union steward didn’t know English at the time, while Antonio understood a little bit, so he began helping others be understood. Meat Packing Director Mike Potter saw that he was helping others, and Antonio became a steward too. Antonio says, “I like to help others, and I don’t like to see when people are treated bad because they don’t know English. I like that as a union, we are stronger now because we didn’t have power back then like we do now.” He and his wife and four children live in Worthington.

Courtney Huber (She/Her)

Recording Secretary

Courtney began her grocery industry career in 2001 at Rainbow foods and worked just about every position within its’ walls. Many times she travelled to other stores helping to price during audits and remodels. Always making sure to vote on her contracts, Courtney began to attend union meetings, and gives credit to another longtime union member, Lori Wayman, for encouraging Huber’s union activism. Courtney has sat on three negotiating committees since 2010--most recently in 2018 where she was a part of the negotiating committee with President Utecht that was able to secure historic contract gains for members. Huber is inspired by new organizing and was able to be a part of testifying at City Hall for $15 an hour minimum wage as well as participated in Seward Co-op’s March on the Boss. She looks forward to continuing to grow and strengthen Local 663.

Michael Karnes (He/Him)

Vice President

Dan Lenway (He/Him)

Advisory Committee & Union Walking Steward at Hormel

Claudia Ambriz (She/Her)

Vice President & Union Walking Steward at QPP

Kristine Foslien (She/Her)

Vice President

Jessica Hayssen (She/Her)

Communications Director & Vice President

Jessica Hayssen joined the UFCW Local 663 family in 2017 and is proud to amplify the stories of the hard work that Local 663 members do and how they give back to the community. She believes that the power of our stories can be used to create better workplaces and communities. Jessica has held previous positions at the Minnesota AFL-CIO and AFSCME Council 5 standing up for hard working union families. She’s stood shoulder to shoulder with locked out sugar beet workers in western MN and went to jail for justice in solidarity with those who fight for $15 an hour at the MSP airport. She was a founding member of the national AFL-CIO Young Workers’ Advisory Council and founded Minnesota Young Workers as well as Minnesota Union Women’s’ groups. She is a long serving board member on the Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Committee. Jessica finds inspiration in people’s lives, because our lives and our families are what drives us to build better lives. Our story is about coming together through collective bargaining to live our values. Jessica lives in south Minneapolis with a brilliant daughter and loyal Boston Terrier named Oliver.

German Muñoz (He/Him)

Vice President

Kodzo Kudatsi (He/Him)

Vice President

Jerry Bolash (He/Him)

Vice President

Michael LaCoste (He/Him)

Secretary-Treasurer

Rena Wong (She/Her)

President

Rena is originally from California and is Chinese American by way of Mexico. Her father was a restaurant worker and mother a domestic worker. They performed hard, low waged work and their jobs had no union representation. Rena's family had no health insurance, retirement savings, or anything else. She attended UCLA on scholarship when the Justice for Janitors strike took place in Los Angeles in 2000. That fight by low wage workers (so much like her parents) to be visible and for a dignified living wage inspired Rena to join the labor movement. Against all odds, those workers dared to fight and hope—and they WON. It was Rena’s first glimpse of what is possible when workers organize to build power. After graduating in 2001, Rena became an organizer and has worked in Labor ever since. Now as President of UFCW Local 663, Rena’s goal is to build power for workers. We need to organize for power throughout the food system – from farm to slaughter, processing, transportation, in to stores and how it gets into people’s homes and on their tables. By activating our members, organizing non-union workers and partnering with other unions, faith groups and community organizations we can improve the lives of all workers.

Antonio Jimenez (He/Him)

Vice President

Antonio moved to the U.S. in 1995 from Jalisco, Mexico. He’s worked since 1996 worked at JBS. He began in the night ham division and in 2002, began the day shift in long boning. He’s been on the E-Board since 2018, and a steward for 13 years. Antonio’s union activism began when he began helping out a union steward years ago. The union steward didn’t know English at the time, while Antonio understood a little bit, so he began helping others be understood. Meat Packing Director Mike Potter saw that he was helping others, and Antonio became a steward too. Antonio says, “I like to help others, and I don’t like to see when people are treated bad because they don’t know English. I like that as a union, we are stronger now because we didn’t have power back then like we do now.” He and his wife and four children live in Worthington.

Courtney Huber (She/Her)

Recording Secretary

Courtney began her grocery industry career in 2001 at Rainbow foods and worked just about every position within its’ walls. Many times she travelled to other stores helping to price during audits and remodels. Always making sure to vote on her contracts, Courtney began to attend union meetings, and gives credit to another longtime union member, Lori Wayman, for encouraging Huber’s union activism. Courtney has sat on three negotiating committees since 2010--most recently in 2018 where she was a part of the negotiating committee with President Utecht that was able to secure historic contract gains for members. Huber is inspired by new organizing and was able to be a part of testifying at City Hall for $15 an hour minimum wage as well as participated in Seward Co-op’s March on the Boss. She looks forward to continuing to grow and strengthen Local 663.

Michael Karnes (He/Him)

Vice President

Dan Lenway (He/Him)

Advisory Committee & Union Walking Steward at Hormel

Claudia Ambriz (She/Her)

Vice President & Union Walking Steward at QPP

Kristine Foslien (She/Her)

Vice President

Jessica Hayssen (She/Her)

Communications Director & Vice President

Jessica Hayssen joined the UFCW Local 663 family in 2017 and is proud to amplify the stories of the hard work that Local 663 members do and how they give back to the community. She believes that the power of our stories can be used to create better workplaces and communities. Jessica has held previous positions at the Minnesota AFL-CIO and AFSCME Council 5 standing up for hard working union families. She’s stood shoulder to shoulder with locked out sugar beet workers in western MN and went to jail for justice in solidarity with those who fight for $15 an hour at the MSP airport. She was a founding member of the national AFL-CIO Young Workers’ Advisory Council and founded Minnesota Young Workers as well as Minnesota Union Women’s’ groups. She is a long serving board member on the Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Committee. Jessica finds inspiration in people’s lives, because our lives and our families are what drives us to build better lives. Our story is about coming together through collective bargaining to live our values. Jessica lives in south Minneapolis with a brilliant daughter and loyal Boston Terrier named Oliver.

German Muñoz (He/Him)

Vice President

Kodzo Kudatsi (He/Him)

Vice President

Jerry Bolash (He/Him)

Vice President

Michael LaCoste (He/Him)

Secretary-Treasurer

Rena Wong (She/Her)

President

Rena is originally from California and is Chinese American by way of Mexico. Her father was a restaurant worker and mother a domestic worker. They performed hard, low waged work and their jobs had no union representation. Rena's family had no health insurance, retirement savings, or anything else. She attended UCLA on scholarship when the Justice for Janitors strike took place in Los Angeles in 2000. That fight by low wage workers (so much like her parents) to be visible and for a dignified living wage inspired Rena to join the labor movement. Against all odds, those workers dared to fight and hope—and they WON. It was Rena’s first glimpse of what is possible when workers organize to build power. After graduating in 2001, Rena became an organizer and has worked in Labor ever since. Now as President of UFCW Local 663, Rena’s goal is to build power for workers. We need to organize for power throughout the food system – from farm to slaughter, processing, transportation, in to stores and how it gets into people’s homes and on their tables. By activating our members, organizing non-union workers and partnering with other unions, faith groups and community organizations we can improve the lives of all workers.

Souad Sami (She/Her)

Vice President

Marbel Bruno (He/Him)

Vice President

Jess Alexander (He/Him)

Lead Member Organizer & Vice President

Jess Alexander began at UFCW Local 663 in 2017. His goals include making life better for the people in our union’s industries because that working families work hard, do a good job and should earn a fair slice of the pie. Jess has always been driven to join with the people around him to make things better. As a teenager in high school, Jess was active in different community projects and campaigns. His first job was at a co-operative grocery store in his hometown of Corvallis, Oregon. In 1991, Jess graduated high school and moved to California to attend college. He quit school after a year for financial reasons, and was happy to be living in a bigger city and be involved in new community organizing opportunities. After a few jobs in the food industry (bakery delivery and refrigerated foods distribution), Jess started working in construction as an electrician. He experienced the stark difference between doing the same job with a union and without a union, and soon joined the Electricians union. He was an active member of his local for ten years, using his experience and skills as an organizer to make his union stronger. Jess moved to Minnesota in 2011 and made the transition from full-time electrician to Organizer. He has worked for community/labor coalitions and other unions as well. Jess is excited to serve the members and the leadership of Local 663 to grow our membership strength by organizing new members and therefore improving the lives of all Minnesotans.

Antonio Jimenez (He/Him)

Vice President

Antonio moved to the U.S. in 1995 from Jalisco, Mexico. He’s worked since 1996 worked at JBS. He began in the night ham division and in 2002, began the day shift in long boning. He’s been on the E-Board since 2018, and a steward for 13 years. Antonio’s union activism began when he began helping out a union steward years ago. The union steward didn’t know English at the time, while Antonio understood a little bit, so he began helping others be understood. Meat Packing Director Mike Potter saw that he was helping others, and Antonio became a steward too. Antonio says, “I like to help others, and I don’t like to see when people are treated bad because they don’t know English. I like that as a union, we are stronger now because we didn’t have power back then like we do now.” He and his wife and four children live in Worthington.

Courtney Huber (She/Her)

Recording Secretary

Courtney began her grocery industry career in 2001 at Rainbow foods and worked just about every position within its’ walls. Many times she travelled to other stores helping to price during audits and remodels. Always making sure to vote on her contracts, Courtney began to attend union meetings, and gives credit to another longtime union member, Lori Wayman, for encouraging Huber’s union activism. Courtney has sat on three negotiating committees since 2010--most recently in 2018 where she was a part of the negotiating committee with President Utecht that was able to secure historic contract gains for members. Huber is inspired by new organizing and was able to be a part of testifying at City Hall for $15 an hour minimum wage as well as participated in Seward Co-op’s March on the Boss. She looks forward to continuing to grow and strengthen Local 663.

Michael Karnes (He/Him)

Vice President

Dan Lenway (He/Him)

Advisory Committee & Union Walking Steward at Hormel

Claudia Ambriz (She/Her)

Vice President & Union Walking Steward at QPP

Kristine Foslien (She/Her)

Vice President

Jessica Hayssen (She/Her)

Communications Director & Vice President

Jessica Hayssen joined the UFCW Local 663 family in 2017 and is proud to amplify the stories of the hard work that Local 663 members do and how they give back to the community. She believes that the power of our stories can be used to create better workplaces and communities. Jessica has held previous positions at the Minnesota AFL-CIO and AFSCME Council 5 standing up for hard working union families. She’s stood shoulder to shoulder with locked out sugar beet workers in western MN and went to jail for justice in solidarity with those who fight for $15 an hour at the MSP airport. She was a founding member of the national AFL-CIO Young Workers’ Advisory Council and founded Minnesota Young Workers as well as Minnesota Union Women’s’ groups. She is a long serving board member on the Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Committee. Jessica finds inspiration in people’s lives, because our lives and our families are what drives us to build better lives. Our story is about coming together through collective bargaining to live our values. Jessica lives in south Minneapolis with a brilliant daughter and loyal Boston Terrier named Oliver.

German Muñoz (He/Him)

Vice President

Kodzo Kudatsi (He/Him)

Vice President

Jerry Bolash (He/Him)

Vice President

Michael LaCoste (He/Him)

Secretary-Treasurer

Rena Wong (She/Her)

President

Rena is originally from California and is Chinese American by way of Mexico. Her father was a restaurant worker and mother a domestic worker. They performed hard, low waged work and their jobs had no union representation. Rena's family had no health insurance, retirement savings, or anything else. She attended UCLA on scholarship when the Justice for Janitors strike took place in Los Angeles in 2000. That fight by low wage workers (so much like her parents) to be visible and for a dignified living wage inspired Rena to join the labor movement. Against all odds, those workers dared to fight and hope—and they WON. It was Rena’s first glimpse of what is possible when workers organize to build power. After graduating in 2001, Rena became an organizer and has worked in Labor ever since. Now as President of UFCW Local 663, Rena’s goal is to build power for workers. We need to organize for power throughout the food system – from farm to slaughter, processing, transportation, in to stores and how it gets into people’s homes and on their tables. By activating our members, organizing non-union workers and partnering with other unions, faith groups and community organizations we can improve the lives of all workers.

Souad Sami (She/Her)

Vice President

Marbel Bruno (He/Him)

Vice President

Jess Alexander (He/Him)

Lead Member Organizer & Vice President

Jess Alexander began at UFCW Local 663 in 2017. His goals include making life better for the people in our union’s industries because that working families work hard, do a good job and should earn a fair slice of the pie. Jess has always been driven to join with the people around him to make things better. As a teenager in high school, Jess was active in different community projects and campaigns. His first job was at a co-operative grocery store in his hometown of Corvallis, Oregon. In 1991, Jess graduated high school and moved to California to attend college. He quit school after a year for financial reasons, and was happy to be living in a bigger city and be involved in new community organizing opportunities. After a few jobs in the food industry (bakery delivery and refrigerated foods distribution), Jess started working in construction as an electrician. He experienced the stark difference between doing the same job with a union and without a union, and soon joined the Electricians union. He was an active member of his local for ten years, using his experience and skills as an organizer to make his union stronger. Jess moved to Minnesota in 2011 and made the transition from full-time electrician to Organizer. He has worked for community/labor coalitions and other unions as well. Jess is excited to serve the members and the leadership of Local 663 to grow our membership strength by organizing new members and therefore improving the lives of all Minnesotans.

Lisa Thoma (She/Her)

Union Representative

Lisa started her union career as a production line worker in what is now JBS in 1991. From there she became a union steward and in 2015 I became the walking steward. She enjoys learning and becoming more active in my union endeavors by attending meetings when available, working with the employees and also working to solve the problems that pop up on a day to day basis. Lisa is married and have three kids and five grandchildren. She also has two dog, and mentions when the family gets together it is quite a full house. Her hobbies include riding my Harley alongside my husband, gardening and walking her dogs.

Paul Swanson (He/Him)

Union Representative

Vero Orellana (She/Her)

Southwest Area Lead

Greg Neil (He/Him)

Union Representative

Bunnard Phan (He/Him)

Lead Organizer

Claudia Ambriz (She/Her)

Vice President & Union Walking Steward at QPP

Dan Lenway (He/Him)

Advisory Committee & Union Walking Steward at Hormel

Matt Karnes (He/Him)

Walking Steward at QPP

Jesus Zarate (He/Him)

Union Walking Steward Hormel Second Shift

Lauren Booth (She/Her)

Union Representative

Rebecca Chang (She/They)

Office Coordinator Brooklyn Center

Eli Flores (they/them)

Organizer

Jayson Gallager (He/Him)

Union Representative

Cedar Humphrey (they/them)

Communications Specialist