Stores covered by the contract include Lunds/Byerly\'s, Cub Foods, Jerry’s Cubs, Festival Foods, Kowalski\'s and Rainbow Foods.
The agreement provides for improvements in wages, health insurance and pension contributions, the union said.
Pay increases provided for top-scale meat department and full-time clerks amount to 40 cents an hour the first year, 35 cents an hour the second year, and 35 cents the third year of the agreement. The maximum lifetime health benefit for part-time workers was increased to $250,000.
For the first time, members of the union had an opportunity to vote for the agreement at the store where they worked, leading to a record turnout. Voting was held in the parking lots and participation was four times what occurred since the last agreement in 2005, the union said.
"We pride ourselves on being a democratic and transparent organization and that is why we offered voting at 39 locations," said Don Seaquist, president of Local 789. "Furthermore, we demonstrated that grocery stores can pay a living wage, provide health care and provide pensions for workers who are the backbone of the retail food industry and still make a profit."
Local 789 represents workers in retail, long-term care, meatpacking and manufacturing in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
For more information
Visit the union\'s website, www.ufcw789.org
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Stores covered by the contract include Lunds/Byerly\’s, Cub Foods, Jerry’s Cubs, Festival Foods, Kowalski\’s and Rainbow Foods.
The agreement provides for improvements in wages, health insurance and pension contributions, the union said.
Pay increases provided for top-scale meat department and full-time clerks amount to 40 cents an hour the first year, 35 cents an hour the second year, and 35 cents the third year of the agreement. The maximum lifetime health benefit for part-time workers was increased to $250,000.
For the first time, members of the union had an opportunity to vote for the agreement at the store where they worked, leading to a record turnout. Voting was held in the parking lots and participation was four times what occurred since the last agreement in 2005, the union said.
"We pride ourselves on being a democratic and transparent organization and that is why we offered voting at 39 locations," said Don Seaquist, president of Local 789. "Furthermore, we demonstrated that grocery stores can pay a living wage, provide health care and provide pensions for workers who are the backbone of the retail food industry and still make a profit."
Local 789 represents workers in retail, long-term care, meatpacking and manufacturing in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
For more information
Visit the union\’s website, www.ufcw789.org