March 18, 2013
Labor World by Neal Tepel
Washington DC – After several months of challenging bargaining, members of UFCW Locals 328, 371, 919, 1445 and 1459 at Stop & Shop, voted Sunday March 10, 2013 to ratify new three-year contracts. the locals crafted creative solutions that invest resources back into workers’ paychecks and provide stability for the existing Taft-Hartley benefit plans.
UFCW The new contracts include:
• Wage increases per hour for full and part-time workers ranging from 95 cents to $1.62 over three years.
• Scheduling language that protects current part-timers working over 30 hours per week from any ACA-related pressure to cut hours.
• Mechanisms that keep part-time workers in the existing Taft-Hartley benefit plans for ancillary benefits while investing in health savings accounts for part-timers to use in conjunction with a plan on the state exchange.
• A number of new structures, depending on the collective bargaining agreement or state, for part-time, new hires to connect with their union for health coverage.
Ratification meetings were held in all five local unions and the contract was overwhelmingly accepted by members across New England.
