Negotiations to Continue in Colorado on Friday
November 29, 2004
UFCW Local 7’s grocery workers and their employers will resume negotiations this Friday after Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services Regional Director Scot Beckenbaugh set the date in hopes of averting a strike or lockout.
“I am very pleased that the parties are willing to return to the table under FMCS auspices. It is important to ensure that all options for settlement have been considered,” Beckenbaugh said in an article published by the Rocky Mountain News on Saturday, November 27, 2004.
The contract between over 17,500 union workers and Safeway, King Soopers (Kroger) and Albertsons in Colorado expired earlier this fall on September 11, and negotiations have stalled over employer demands that would eliminate affordable health care for workers and their families.
UFCW International took action on November 16th to prevent the three supermarket giants from forcing employees to give up their health benefit plan. The loss of affordable health benefits could leave UFCW members and their families on the brink of economic crisis. UFCW International President Joe Hansen permanently blocked the company proposals presented on November 1, 2004, from Safeway, King Soopers and Albertsons. Hansen also issued an immediate call for the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services to bring the parties back to negotiations and work toward the best possible contract for Colorado supermarket workers. Friday’s scheduled negotiations are the result of that request.
The companies’ proposal to move employees to a company-controlled health insurance plan would threaten affordable health care for tens of thousands of workers.
• Under the employer proposed company insurance, new hires would see drastic cuts in coverage and current hourly supermarket workers would face escalating premiums that would make quality family health coverage unaffordable.
• Historically, jointly-administered union and management health benefit trust funds have provided higher quality coverage for lower costs than if the employers purchased insurance on the open market.
• The employer demands would force workers to abandon any sense of security or voice over their health benefits and puts all control over cost and coverage into the hands of the supermarket companies.
• Employee pension coverage also risks serious cuts under the employers’ proposal.
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