Monthly Archives: January 2024

Over 100 members of UFCW Local 400 who work at Elizabeth Adam Crump Health & Rehab and Elizabeth House Assisted Living in Glen Allen, Va., ratified a new contract on Dec. 21 that strengthens wages and benefits. The two facilities are owned by Trio Healthcare.

The three-year contract includes wage increases averaging 13 percent in the first year and 17 percent over the life of the agreement, an additional flexible holiday, improved arbitration procedures, and wage and premium parity for both facilities.

Other provisions in the contract include:

• Overtime work will be offered to full-time employees first.
• Weekday evening and night premiums are converted to a $2.00 increase in base pay.
• The weekend premium will remain $2.00 as a contractual amount and include a shift into Monday morning.
• Direct care employees will receive a $2.00 across the board increase this month.
• All employees will also receive a 1.5 percent increase January 2024, and 2 percent increases each in January 2025 and 2026.
• There will be scale increases at all levels.
• An experience appreciation bonus of $500 for five years, $1,000 for 10 years, and $1,500 for 15 years will be paid in 2024 and 2026.

“This was awesome, one of the best contracts we’ve ever had,” said Druscilla Mitchell, a UFCW Local 400 shop steward and certified nursing assistant who has worked for 43 years at the company. “We got a lot of people signed up as Local 400 members and that made a huge difference in bargaining. Everyone is pleased with the raises, the extra personal day and the other improvements we got. Union is the way to go!”

“I want to congratulate our members working at Elizabeth Adam Crump and Elizabeth House for standing strong in solidarity and bargaining a contract that significantly improves their living standards and working conditions,” said UFCW Local 400 President Mark P. Federici. “They perform enormously important work caring for their patients and residents in demanding and difficult circumstances, and they have more than earned the wage increases and other benefits in this industry-leading agreement.”

On Jan. 10, the UFCW issued a statement in support of a ruling by the U.S. Department of Labor, which clarified who is an employee and who is an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act.

“Countless Americans rely on the gig economy’s essential services every day and gig workers need these guidelines to ensure they have access to the same rights, benefits, and protections as other workers,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “This ruling is a critical step forward for workers across the nation who are erroneously classified as independent contractors, allowing companies to avoid giving these workers fair wages and benefits.”

“Gig workers now have a chance to thrive right alongside the companies they work for with access to the better wages and increased protections they deserve,” Perrone added. “The decision to work more hours, take more jobs, or use an app does not automatically make you an independent contractor and the UFCW is glad to see the Department of Labor affirm that in their classification guidelines.”