Through union surveys prior to the start of bargaining, the members of Local 203 let their negotiating committee know that they wanted to receive decent raises, protect their health insurance, and improve opportunities to advance. Their new two-year agreement accomplishes all three of these goals.
About 180 UE members work at the City Market/Onion River Co-op in downtown Burlington, which is the largest single food store cooperative in the U.S. in terms of sales. The store has been doing very well financially – so well that a second store in the area is planned. Despite rising sales and healthy profits, the store’s management came to the bargaining table recently with an offer for raises for only about 10 percent of the workforce.
UE Local 203, however, was determined to do better, and it did. Wage increases in the new contract will vary, but the local succeeded in raising the rates for almost all of the steps in the current wage scale. The new wage scale guarantees a minimum increase of 2.5 percent in fiscal year 2014, and some employees will receive more. In the second year of the contract, members are guaranteed a minimum increase of 3.2 percent.
The local also negotiated a new health insurance plan which maintains the provision that full-time employees pay no part of premium coverage for single-person coverage. The new plan will also likely result in no out-of-pocket costs for healthcare for the majority of members in the plan. Even if an employee has medical issues that result in hospitalization or other costly events, the employee will not have to pay more than $500 in the calendar year for healthcare.
The local negotiated language that improves advancement opportunities by strengthening the job posting language and creating a process whereby the local will work with management to develop and improve training opportunities. The local also negotiated new language which guarantees that employees working in a higher labor grade will receive the higher rate of pay for that work.
Finally, the local negotiated language that requires management to create a respectful, accountable and responsive work environment.
“Throughout the entire negotiation process, and especially when the going got tough, our team stood firm on our most important goal – to create justice and equality in a contract that benefits all of our employees. We fought for benefits that foster a higher quality of living, and our outcome was a contract that represents that,” said Evelyn Prim, local vice president.
Chief Steward Sam Cliff led the contract support committee which was composed of the local’s stewards and other activitists. Members attended bargaining sessions as observers, wore UE T-shirts, and distributed bargaining updates.
Tim Pockette, who served on the negotiating committee, said, "Being part of this negotiation was eye-opening in a lot of regards. I never really knew how different the perspectives between management and the union really were until I stepped into that room. While we didn't accomplish everything, I think we made some significant strides forward."
Members of the local also have been getting involved in a campaign to strengthen and expand Burlington’s livable wage ordinance. City Market is currently exempt from the local law.
Serving on the local’s negotiating committee were President Cathy Austrian, Matt Halibozek, David Torres, and Tim Pockette. Vice President Evelyn Primand Adam Ploof served as bargaining committee alternates. The local was assisted by UE International Representative Kimberly Lawson.