Three-Year Agreement Covers Workers in W.Va., Ohio, Ky.
Increases Compensation, Maintains Health & Retirement Security
CHARLESTON, W.Va., November 8 – Members of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 working at Kroger in West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky ratified a new, three-year collective bargaining agreement that maintains their health and retirement security and increases their total compensation by an average of $3.10/hour over the life of the contract.
“Our members took an important step forward by ratifying this agreement,” said Local 400 President Tom McNutt. “At a time of economic difficulty, skyrocketing health care costs and pension funding challenges, they were able to maintain and improve their standard of living, health care coverage, retirement benefits and job security. This is a solid agreement that once again proves how vital union representation is to keeping middle class jobs alive in the retail sector of the economy.”
Negotiations were challenging with many difficult issues to resolve. But both sides bargained in good faith and the result is a win-win contract that helps Kroger workers while ensuring that the supermarket chain remains profitable and is well-positioned to expand its share of the market.
“It’s our members’ unparalleled productivity and quality service that makes Kroger profitable and I am pleased that our agreement recognizes this essential fact,” McNutt said. “I am equally pleased with the strong Solidarity our members showed throughout the negotiations-it was absolutely essential our success at the bargaining table.”
Instead of concessions, Local 400 members won a commitment from Kroger to make monthly contributions to their health and retirement funds in amounts the funds’ trustees determine are necessary to maintain existing benefits.
“Most experts project that retail is one sector of the economy expected to experience some of the greatest job growth in the years to come,” McNutt said. “That makes it all the more critical that retail jobs provide middle class compensation. Our agreement with Kroger shows how we can achieve this critical goal.”
UFCW Local 400 represents 40,000 members working in the retail food, health care, retail department store, food processing, service and other industries in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.