“From the beginning, we set very clear goals,” said Dave Schmitz, President of UFCW Local 21. “We met those goals — and more — without taking any steps backwards. There are solid wage increases, a groundbreaking health care benefits package that means better care at lower costs for members and progress on sick leave and scheduling practices.”

The agreement is the best contract settlement won by any UFCW Local nationwide. Local 21’s campaign, representing 20,000 grocery workers in Puget Sound, was part of UFCW International’s 2007 national campaign for over 400,000 workers across the country. In addition to winning wage increases and better medical benefits here, Local 21 also won advances in sick leave and family-friendly scheduling.

Over the past five months of negotiations, grocery employees received an outpouring of support from grocery store customers as well as from religious and community leaders across the Puget Sound. Tens of thousands signed a pledge saying they would stand up for grocery workers. The region’s religious leaders and elected officials showed up at stores to bolster support for workers.

"The community stood with these workers because it was the right thing to do and because we know that standing with grocery industry workers who are struggling every day to make ends meet, is critical to the future of our region's middle class," said Steve Williamson, Director of Strategic Campaigns for UFCW Local 21.

Some details of the new three-year contract include:

A New Medical Plan

Preventive Care: In-network preventive care is now fully covered with no cost to members — no deductibles — no coinsurance — no co-pays. Preventive care includes well-adult and well-child physicals, immunizations, flu shots, and appropriate screening tests.

New Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRA): Each year, the plan will fund an HRA account for members. Each member’s HRA will be funded at $500 ($1000 per family). Members can use this money for doctor visits, lab tests, x-rays or any other covered medical expense. (It can’t be used for prescriptions, dental or vision.) Unused HRA account money may be rolled over for the next year’s use. This account is available before members pay their deductible.

Sooner Eligibility for Children: Coverage begins for the children of employees starting their 4th month on the job — rather than their 10th month.

Same Sex Domestic Partners are now covered under the same rules as married couples

$5-million for wellness incentives: Any employee who voluntarily takes a personal health assessment in 2008 will be paid $50 — if a spouse takes it, they get $50 too. Other health incentives will be rolled out beginning in 2008 and during the course of the contract. A Wellness Program will help members who want to stop smoking and with chronic conditions, including weight management.

Dental Plan: 100 percent preventive coverage

Prescription Coverage: The new contract promotes the use of cost-effective generic drugs and lower costs. While employees used to pay co-pays from $5 to $40, now those co-pay costs are reduced to from $0 to $30

Wages

Wage increases of up to $1.30 an hour over the term of the three-year agreement

Increases are retroactive to the original expiration of the contract on May 5th

Pension Plan

The Pension plan was secured with no cuts for the life of the contract

Sick Leave and Family-Friendly Scheduling

Strong breakthroughs were made in sick leave and scheduling practices

First day sick leave: Being able to call in sick and get paid leave the first day of an illness — is now available for longer-term employees who haven’t used their sick leave

Members at some stores will receive more notification of the coming week’s schedule so they can plan time for their families. In the past, notice has been only 3 days previous to the start of the work week. This contract extends that in many stores from 5 days to 2 weeks.