More than 2,000 UFCW Local 152 members who work in retail positions at 15 ShopRite stores in southern New Jersey ratified a new contract on Dec. 10. These members work in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Ocean County and play pivotal roles in serving the people in their communities.
This contract was ratified after months of hard bargaining between the 24-person negotiating committee and the three ShopRite owner groups (Bottino’s Supermarkets, Saker ShopRites, and Village Super Market).
Wages were the biggest contention in this contract. The negotiating committee stood their ground to obtain a contract that includes larger market comparable wage increases that address wage compression, which many employers contend with across the state. The contract also includes substantial yearly increases for all full- and part-time clerks based on years of service. This wage structure rewards seniority and is intended to soften wage compression through the life of the agreement.
All department managers and classified positions will receive additional increases on top of the historic across-the-boards. Additionally, the night crew will receive increases to their premium rates throughout the contract. Health and Beauty Aids Managers and Customer Goals Coordinators became classified positions under the new contract and are entitled to additional premiums like other classified positions.
The contract protects health care benefits by securing yearly increases designed to maintain current benefit levels for the life of the contract. The contract also enhances vacation benefits for part-time workers, who often lost a portion of their vacation credits when they bid on full-time positions. Effective January 1, 2025, workers will now receive one-for-one credit in calculating their vacation benefit level. This change will increase vacation accruals for many current members and provide an incentive for part-time members to bid on full-time openings. Additionally, workers with at least two weeks of vacation can now contractually use a portion of their vacation in single days.
Finally, formal language was added to the contract for extenuating circumstances such as pandemics and dangerous emergencies. This language gives the union an open door to have discussions with the three owners in the event of these emergencies to discuss safety issues, hazard pay, and more.
