UFCW 324 Communications / News
Grocery Workers Union Reaches Agreement with King Kullen Supermarkets
June 25, 2006 · UFCW Local 1500
United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 and King Kullen Supermarkets reached and agreement at 12:02 A.M. Friday morning June 23rd for a new four year collective bargaining agreement. The agreement was reached without the Union members having to contribute towards their healthcare through paycheck deductions and maintains Sunday Premium for new hires. Both issues were considered strike issues for the Union.
UFCW Local 1500 President Bruce Both praised both parties for working tirelessly until a deal was reached that was fair and equitable to both parties. "These were the most challenging negotiations this Union has faced in over 30 years. Both parties should be commended on the outcome. He also added that King Kullen shoppers win with the settlement as well. "The consumers now know that there will be no job action at King Kullen," Both concluded
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Union Reaches Agreement With New York Area Grocery Stores
June 25, 2006 · Reuters
About 16,000 workers at three New York-area grocery store chains avoided a strike after the stores reached labor agreements with the union representing them, the union said.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500 reached an agreement with Pathmark Stores Inc. and Ahold NV's Stop & Shop on Friday evening, the union said in a statement.
A four-year contract was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday. It affects more than 7,000 workers at Pathmark stores and about 5,000 workers at Stop & Shop in New York City and on Long Island, as well as Dutchess, Putnam and Westchester counties.
The agreement follows another one made earlier on Friday with King Kullen Grocery Co. Inc.
Sunday premium pay for new hires, the main issue that could have triggered a strike, "will have a modest change with minimal impact on the employees," the statement said. It did not provide details on the change.
Representatives for the union and the supermarket chains were not immediately available for comment.
Pathmark and Stop & Shop workers will not have paycheck deductions to cover their health-care costs, and would receive wage increases that would put top-rated clerks at more than $50,000 a year, the statement said.
The workers plan to vote on ratifying the agreements within 10 days, the statement also said.