Home
Forums
Your Union
Local 653 joins the race to the bottom
Forums
Your Union
Local 653 joins the race to the bottom
Local 653 joins the race to the bottom
| Author | Message |
|---|---|
| rogead |
Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 1:24 pm
|
|
Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 412 |
UFCW local 653, which covers the western portion of the Minneapolis-St Paul area, has just negotiated one of the worst labor contracts in local history. Traditionally, this local’s contract sets the tone for local 789’s contract talks which will begin this coming fall.
http://www.startribune.com/business/85892092.html The new contract freezes wage increases and wage progressions for the length of the contract, provides no additional funds into the health care plan (in spite of annual increases of nearly 9% for health care costs), and cuts pension credits nearly in half. In addition, part time workers have lost premium pay for working on Sundays; and all workers are required to donate a week of their vacation time to fund the pension plan. Not surprisingly, the negotiations were kept secret from workers until the last minute. Quote: Some union members, who didn't want to be named because of job-loss fears, complained that the union cast a veil of secrecy over the proceedings and didn't do enough to preserve future wages, especially for part-time workers.
"It's totally wrong how this thing was done," said one grocery worker. "We didn't know what we were voting on until we got there, and we were handed a sheet of paper and forced to decide on the spot how we wanted to vote. We couldn't talk it over with our spouses, with our co-workers, nothing." Contrast the UFCW-negotiated contract with that of the other union mentioned in the above article. Janitors from a particularly strong local, were able to get a contract that actually improved wages and working conditions. |
| Back to top | profile :: pm :: www |
| SharynS |
Posted: Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:51 am
|
|
Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 2883 Location: the 'puter |
"joins the race..."? You must mean 653 is carrying the ufcw baton for the next leg of the race, right.
_________________ Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself. - Salman Rushdie |
| Back to top | profile :: pm :: e-mail :: www |
| Bill Sable |
Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 11:30 pm
|
|
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259 |
Brother Rogead...many thanks for this information.\
A quick question: did the members vote to ratify and by what method and margin? Personally, I would have extraordinary difficulty approving a contract proposal including such provisions and negotiated in such a manner. Further queston to UNCHARTED: did the UFCW IU force the Denver contract upon its members or are they still "in negotiations" with employers.? |
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| SharynS |
Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 1:35 am
|
|
Joined: 28 Jan 2006 Posts: 2883 Location: the 'puter |
The song
The dance The Final Curtain! UFCW Members Celebrate New Contract with Stop & Shop Assuming that's the one WJ, it appears UFCW Denver is all sewed up. _________________ Free speech is the whole thing, the whole ball game. Free speech is life itself. - Salman Rushdie |
| Back to top | profile :: pm :: e-mail :: www |
| Bill Sable |
Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 3:47 am
|
|
Joined: 14 Feb 2009 Posts: 259 |
With acknowledgement and gratitude to the folks at UFCW Local 789, the website of Local 789 [www.ufcw789.org] has links to the "Final Offer" presented to the members of Local 653 and the the StarTribune article reporting on the contract and its ratification.
The "Final Offer" includes the following major items: 1. 3-year contract 2. Article II: Hours of work (*see website doc) 3. Article III: Holidays (*see website doc) 4. Article IV: Vacations (*see website doc) 5. Article XIV: Pension > crediting rate reduced to $35.00 for future service > elimination of 30 and out provision for new participants hired after Feb. 28, 2010 only > increase hour's requirement from 850 to 1,000 hours to get a service credit in plan year > restrict disability eligibility to require social security disability > eliminate the joint and survivor option for disability > employees who are eligible to take two (2) or mnore weeks vacation must forfeit one (1) week vacation per year for the first two (2) years of the contract. these weeks of vacation must be taken without pay by each employee's anniversary date or by mutual agreement with the employer and the employee. all employees on the unpaid vacation weeks will jhave their health and welfare paid by the employer. pension payments will be paid for full-time employees, only, on the unpaid vacation weeks. employee will be allowed to use a banked week. The employer will contribute $ .25 cents year one of the contract, and additional $ .25 cents year two of the contract and an additional $ .25 cents year three of the contract to the pension fund for all employees eligible to receive contributions. total contribution increase three years $1.50) 6. Article XV: Health & Welfare > no change unless reserves fall below six (6) months, then the Board of Truistees will decide on reduction of benefits 7. Article XVII: Seniority (*see website doc) 8. Article XXIV: Waivers (*see website doc) 9. Article XXV: Shelf-stocking > remove language 10. Sunday clause (*see website doc) 11. Wages: > three year freeze for top rated employees and employees in the progressions > employees hired above scale after Feb.29, 2010 will not get credit for hours in the progressions 12. two fifteen minute breaks, if applicabler, may be taken together by mutual agreement 13. the company may, at its discretion, offer the employees a 401(k) Roth IRA program. ________ ________ |
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| Laboryes |
Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 4:47 am
|
|
Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 1959 |
Here's a printable version:
http://ufcw789.org/pdfs/MinneapolisOffer.pdf UFCW's...... 
_________________ "When people refuse to obey, then democracy comes alive." Howard Zinn |
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| hawk |
Posted: Tue Mar 09, 2010 8:41 am
|
|
Joined: 07 Mar 2010 Posts: 268 |
Well, well, the workers get less and less but the union dues are "protected" so all is well in this world.
Management isn't stupid. As long as the unions continue to get their dues money, almost anything else is negotiable. The problem with the North American union-government structure is that it is dependent on the unions having a labour monopoly on all the available labour. As soon as a big non-union competitor comes on the scene, the unions collapse. The workers need something but it sure isn't the AFL-CIO. |
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| rogead |
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 2:11 am
|
|
Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 412 |
Thanks to those who posted the links on the 789 website. We’ve also distributed 653 contract “lowlights” in the 789 stores, and are making it clear that this type of contract won’t be acceptable when our negotiation meetings begin this coming autumn.
The employers involved are clearly taking advantage of the current economic climate. One of their threats during 653 negotiations was that, if they didn’t receive these concessions, they would need to lay off workers. After 653 caved-in, the employers enacted lay-offs anyway-- not only in 653’s jurisdiction, but also in 789’s. In the chain I work for, owned by a regional grocer named Roundy’s, all of the maintenance people were laid-off last week. About 50 workers in 789 (as well as about 80 in 653) lost their jobs. Many of these were developmentally disabled workers for whom the job wasn’t about pay, but which functioned as a means of social interaction and positive self-esteem. They may only have been “cart-pushers” and “baggers”, but they made our stores friendlier and more efficient. Super value, which is the only national grocer in this market, has also lain off workers. The grocers are planning another round of lay-offs after Easter. |
| Back to top | profile :: pm :: www |
| John Briley |
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 5:36 pm
|
|
Joined: 21 Nov 2007 Posts: 616 |
Welcome letter to new UFCW Local 653 members?
http://www.ufcw653.org/Welcome/WelcomeLetter.pdf |
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
| Laboryes |
Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:13 pm
|
|
Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 1959 |
John Briley wrote: Check out their "union pride" logo on the top, right side of the letter. If this recent contract is the best this local can do for the members then this local should be embarrassed, not proud! Wonder after this last episode(UFCW member porking) if any of these members are considering “decertification”??? _________________ "When people refuse to obey, then democracy comes alive." Howard Zinn |
| Back to top | profile :: pm |
Home
Forums
Your Union
Local 653 joins the race to the bottom
Forums
Your Union
Local 653 joins the race to the bottom
|
Page 1 of 1
|
||