CONTRACT UPDATE: June 11, 2014
Ratified!
Grocery workers approve new contract with Schnucks, Dierbergs, Shop ‘N Save
New Contract for St. Louis and Eastern Missouri Grocery Store Workers
Grocery Store Workers in St. Louis approve new 3-year contract
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Efforts are underway to have the finalized version of the proposal delivered to the stores to be distributed with paychecks next week.
A Contract Ratification Meeting has been scheduled for:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 7PM
ST. CHARLES FAMILY ARENA
2002 ARENA PARKWAY
ST. CHARLES, MO 63303
DOORS WILL OPEN AT 5:00PM
At the UFCW Local 655 Monthly Meeting, May 27, 2014, President Cook gave a presentation on a few aspects of the Greater St. Louis Food Employers’ Council recommended proposal. The presentation that follows is not the entire proposal nor does it depict the finalized language in the proposal.
CLICK BELOW for the Contract Proposal Presentation:
- Healthcare Cost
- Competition Impact
- Healthcare Proposal
- Pension Proposal
- Wage Proposal
- Vendor Proposal
- Holiday Proposal
BARGAINING COMMITTEE MISSION STATEMENT
“Bring back to the membership a proposal that ensures the continuation of their employment, maintains quality healthcare benefits, maintains quality retirement benefits and increases earnings.”
PREVIOUS UPDATES:
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May 20, 2:45 pm
CONTRACT UPDATE: We are working to clean up the proposal. Next we will send the clean version to the printer. We anticipate having copies of the proposal delivered to stores the first week of June ahead of the ratification meeting.
ANALYSIS OF 2014 GSLFEC CONTRACT PROPOSAL
The Union Bargaining Committee dedicated itself to the following mission statement in negotiating the GSLFEC contract proposal.
“Bring back to the membership a proposal that ensures the continuation of their employment, maintains quality healthcare benefits, maintains quality retirement benefits and increases earnings.”
Continuation of employment. The Committee recognized the companies’ need to compete in pricing with the growing non-union competition. Needless to say, it is a difficult task balancing competitiveness for the companies with the remainder of the mission statement. Decisions were made both in the level of increased cost to the companies as well as relaxation of work-rules to maintain viable places of employment for the membership into the future. President Cook has stated that the best solution to the competition problem is engagement of the membership to help organize and/or raise the labor cost in non-union locations selling groceries.
Maintain quality healthcare benefits. The Committee accepted the fact that the forecasted increase in healthcare cost vs. what increase in cost the companies are willing/able to pay would require adjustments in benefits and/or cost sharing. This increase cost has been the factor for adjustments in healthcare benefits for the past 12 years. The Committee successfully maintained the position that there would be no elimination of benefits for any member. Fairness and choice are the keywords in the Committee’s approach to healthcare benefits. Members will be able to decide which level of coverage they wish to receive and pay a premium share based on that level of coverage. While subsidizing is the theme in any insurance program, the Committee felt it fair to balance subsidizing by restructuring premium sharing. The Committee recognized the desire of the members to maintain the Early Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP) and was successful in extending the benefit with expanded “enrollment windows” beginning in 2015.
Maintain quality retirement benefits. Based on analysis from the Pension Fund actuaries and due mainly to strong returns on investments the Committee decided to reduce the contribution rate for pension and use the reduction elsewhere in the contract proposal. Slight enhancements have been approved in retirement benefits.
Increase earnings. The Committee understands the need for wage increases and, quite frankly, believes that employees are worth more than the current economic environment is allowing. The Committee weighed as factors, competition, high unemployment, a too slow recovery in the economy and the need of members in its decision to recommend the wage package included in the proposal.
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May 19
TENTATIVE CONTRACT WITH SCHNUCKS, DIERBERGS, SHOP ‘N SAVE
Members:
After a year of contract negotiations, your Union has reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with Schnucks, Dierbergs and Shop ‘n Save. The tentative agreement has the unanimous support of your contract bargaining committee of rank-and-file members and union officers.
We will have a union meeting for all members within the second week of June. The meeting will be a single meeting with the specific date, time and place to be announced shortly. No details will be made public at this time.
I want to thank everyone for your patience. These have been the most difficult negotiations any of us have ever experienced.
In Solidarity
David Cook
President
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May 13
At the Shop Steward Contract Update Meeting Tuesday, May 13, President Cook informed the Stewards of the following:
-The members need to continue sending the message that deep cuts in healthcare and/or elimination of benefits is unacceptable. I WEAR BECAUSE I CARE
-The Companies are hearing the message and moving, but unacceptable proposals remain.
-Negotiations are scheduled to continue Wednesday May 14 and Thursday May 15.
-From conversations with the companies’ bargaining representatives, we expect to have either a negotiated proposal or a final offer from the Companies by the conclusion of negotiations on Thursday.
-We will have a meeting with the membership either the first or second week of June.
-The bargaining committee remains committed to a proposal that maintains quality benefits with any adjustments made in a fair way for all members.
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May 10
We thank our sister Locals for their support. We thank them for their support and solidarity.
Read them below:
Local 881 President Ron Powell Statement of Support for 655
Local 88 President Steve Straher “Supports Local 655 100%
“NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE TO BE DIFFICULT, THE MOST DIFFICULT IN OUR UNION’S HISTORY. THE PROPOSALS ON THE BARGAINING TABLE AT THIS TIME ARE UGLY. FOR MORE DETAILS, CHECK OUT ALL OF THE BUTTONS BELOW.
At the 2014 Shop Steward Educational Conference President David Cook and Secretary-Treasurer Dave Politte updated the shop stewards on the status and issues in the Greater St. Louis Food Employers’ Contract negotiations (Schnucks, Dierbergs, Shop ‘n Save).The following includes excerpts from presentations to shop stewards on Tuesday, April 1 at the 2014 Shop Steward Educational Conference.
