 He was an outspoken rank-and-file activist who won election to local union office, and in 1973 became an international staff representative.In 1979, the Amalgamated Meat Cutters (AMC) and the Retail Clerks International Union (RCIU) merged to form the UFCW.In 1985, Hansen was appointed UFCW northcentral region director in Minnesota and was elected a UFCW international vice president the following year.