Safeway, Albertsons, Fred Meyer and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 averted a Thanksgiving-week strike by reaching an agreement over key labor issues Sunday.
The Local 555 announced the proposed five-year contract to union members at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday, after which union members voted to accept the offer. The final vote was 57 to 19 against the strike for meat workers, and 396 to 116 against the strike for grocery workers.
Local 555 Secretary-Treasurer Ed Clay told union members to approve the deal.
“If you turn this offer down, we’re going to go on strike tonight,” Clay said.
West 18th Avenue Albertsons employee and union member Sherri Smith said she was relieved that the employees will not strike.
“I’m a little disappointed, but at least the health and welfare (coverage) is good,” she said.
Both sides reached a compromise on the main sticking points — health care coverage, pension benefits and wage increases.
The employers currently pay 100 percent of union member health care, and they wanted employees to pay a portion of the premium. Now, employees will pay a portion but it will be covered by cash bonuses from the employers. New employees will have to wait a month to qualify for benefits.
The employers’ request of an age limit of 21 to receive pension benefits was dropped.
“Journeyman” status, currently a wage increase after 5,200 hours of work, will be increased to 7,800 hours for new employees. The employers had proposed a higher number of hours.
“It’s better than 12,000 (hours),” Clay said.
Finally, the union requested an immediate 50-cent wage increase for all members, and employers met them halfway. A 25-cent increase will take effect today, and another will be implemented in November 2004. Employers will also give union members lump-sum bonuses that will cover the members’ portion of health care premiums.
Many union members were surprised to hear the changes in the proposal from the employers.
“(The deal) was as fair as it was going to get,” West 11th Avenue Safeway employee and union member Catherine Unruh said.
Some members still are not satisfied with the new proposal.
East 18th Avenue Safeway employee Doug Poxell said he voted against the deal.
“Once (the employers) start taking benefits away, it never ends,” Poxell said. “I don’t like the idea of giving away anything.”
A strike in Eugene would have led to others in surrounding counties and would have had an impact nationally, Clay said.
“Whatever happens in Eugene sets the pattern,” he said.
The latest deal was made after the national Joint Labor Management committee stepped in and asked to mediate the conflict Wednesday. The two parties finished negotiations at 5 a.m. Sunday.
Sawyer said much of the credit for reaching the agreement is due to JLM.
“They had the wisdom and insight to get involved,” Sawyer said.
Local 555 spokesman Rick Sawyer said that if the union voted to strike, arrangements had been made to begin at about 10 p.m., after all votes were counted.
Roman Gokhman is a freelance writer for the Emerald.