STOP & SHOP CONTRACT UPDATE

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Yesterday, UFCW Local 328 members who work for Stop & Shop overwhelmingly ratified a new three year contract.  Over 1,500 people attended three separate ratification meetings held at the Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston, as well as separate meetings on the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.  The vast majority felt that the package was better than they expected, with over 97% voting to ratify the contract.

These negotiations were the most difficult in our local’s history as well as for all of our sister locals throughout New England.  The initial proposal by the company slashed your health care – gutted your pension - sought to cut benefits for new employees and presented a substandard wage package. 

From what has been negotiated throughout the country in the last 18 months, this is by far the richest contract that has been bargained.  This includes such employers as Kroger, A&P and Safeway.  Your employer will spend $163 million NEW dollars to fund these contracts over the next three years. 

Health and Welfare -   $76 Million

Wages -                    $63 Million

Pension -                   $24 Million

We would like to take this opportunity to deeply thank all of you for your patience and commitment to our common goal.  We commend all of you who passed out the 100% off coupons, all of you who confided in your customers and friends, and all of you who took the time to handbill outside of your stores on your free time.  You have no idea how essential your actions were to helping us reach this agreement.  And for that……we applaud you!!

Your strength is your unity and your unity is your strength.

In Solidarity,

Dave Fleming

Dave Fleming, President
UFCW Local 328

STOP & SHOP NEGOTIATION UPDATE

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Here we are Saturday at 2:40  in the afternoon and we’re still at it.

We are hanging tough in order to bring back the best possible package that is available. If I were to make an analogy, it would be a football game and we are down on the 1st yard line trying to score, and that last yard always seems to be the most difficult. We’re at a point where the economics is the last piece on the table and we want to make sure we don’t walk away unless we get everything that we believe is available. Our goal remains to bring back a company offer that is fair and equitable, that protects everything we have in our contract and makes improvements that you have earned and deserve.

Because of your unity, your strength and your connection to your customers we are still at the table making progress. Without you we would have been gone a long time ago. Don’t underestimate your value and importance to these negotiations.

See all of you tomorrow at Rhodes On The Pawtuxet.

Remember:

Your strength is your unity and your unity is your strength.

In Solidarity,

Dave Fleming

Dave Fleming, President
UFCW Local 328

The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) in partnership with the AFL-CIO Community Services network and the United Way is holding its Annual Food Drive on Saturday, May 8th.  Last year the NALC Food Drive collected over 73.4 million pounds of food that went to replenish the shelves of the local food banks!  This record amount of food helped to feed an estimate of over 30 million Americans, including more than 12 milion children.

All a person needs to do to help is place a box or bag or nonperishable food next to their mail box before the letter carrier delivers the mail on Saturday, May 8th.  The carrier will do the rest.  The food is taken to the Postal Station then it's sorted and delivered by Union Volunteers to area food banks or pantires for needy familes to access.

Thank you for your support of the National Letter Carriers Food Drive.

You could win $1,000, $500 or $250....

John J Sweeney, the nation’s top union official, often complains that he was invited just once to the White House during George W. Bush’s eight years in office — and even that was at the Vatican’s behest during a visit by Pope Benedict.