About 80 members of UFCW Local 27 who work at the Coca-Cola bottling plant in Baltimore ratified a new contract on April 15 that raises wages and protects benefits.
The five-year contract includes a new starting rate of $24.24 per hour, along with a $750.00 ratification bonus for all current members. The contract adds time and one half for all workers called into work. Members will now receive three days paid bereavement leave for aunts, uncles, and in-laws, along with 40 hours of sick pay. The contract also improves health care benefits for these members, as well as the pension, and includes a new 401(k) benefit.
“Our members ultimately had the final say on their contract,” said UFCW Local 27 President Jason Chorpenning. “Their overwhelming vote to ratify the new contract gives me the confidence that their voices were heard.”
“Our goal as the Bargaining Committee was to address our members’ core issues and leave no money on the table,” said Vice President and Executive Assistant to the President Nelson Hill.
“We are extremely proud of this agreement and the wages and benefits that will benefit our families and community,” said Keith Dailey, who is a Coca Cola employee and a union steward. “We work hard every day, and this agreement reflects our dedication to our work.”