Workers at Hunger Mountain Co-op in Montpelier Vermont who are organized into UE Local 255 made significant progress in this round of contract negotiations. By keeping the members informed and remaining united, the final contract retained important protections and made some significant improvements. The new agreement, covering 108 workers, is a three-year contract with reopeners on wages, health insurance, retirement and gain share.
Effective July 1, all members received an hourly wage increase of 50 cents. In addition, all members will receive an anniversary increase 25 cents (15 cents if over the wage scale). Cashiers increased their pay differential from 10 cents to 20 cents per hour.
UE members at Hunger Mountain also protected their health insurance. The co-op pays the full premium for single individuals, and the co-op and employee share the cost of the difference between family and single coverage.
One of the biggest issues in negotiations was the effect on employees of a scheduled expansion of the store during the coming winter. Management wanted the right to lay off if there wasn’t enough work for all employees due to the expansion. Members of UE Local 255 did not want the burden of the expansion to fall upon those who could least afford a layoff. In the end, management and the union agreed to negotiate over this issue once more information about the expansion becomes available, with the goal of no involuntary loss of income for any workers.
Other contract provisions include maintaining 10 paid FMLA days when an employee is off work for an extended time, clarification of the relationship between paid time off (PTO) and unpaid time, improved ability to transfer, two additional paid bereavement days for immediate family members, and a number of job upgrades for lead workers.
The negotiating committee consisted of local President Bob Messing, Chief Steward Elizabeth Jesdale, Nettie Cadieux and Jesse Gile. They were assisted by Field Organizer Heather Riemer.