Posts Categorized: Negotiations

About 25 members of UFCW Local 152 who work for the Borough of Bradley Beach in New Jersey ratified a new contract on March 3. These members keep the Borough of Bradley Beach running by dispatching public safety personnel to respond to emergencies, cleaning trash, repairing critical infrastructure, and caring for the community’s day-to-day needs.

The long-overdue contract comes after purposely stalled negotiations by the former mayor, Larry Fox, and his administration that were designed to reduce or eliminate benefits previously enjoyed by these members. In early summer 2024, UFCW Local 152 asked the public to help pressure the former mayor to negotiate in good faith by signing an online petition. The local also created lawn signs and launched the “Borough of Bradley Beach Workers Need Your Help” webpage as part of this campaign. After Mayor Al Gubitosi was elected and took office in January 2025, negotiations swiftly moved forward.

The new contract significantly raises the salary step program, and senior members at the top of the wage progression will receive increases based on their length of service. Members will receive up to two years of back-paid wage increases, as well. In addition, changes were made to overtime work, new positions were added to the unit, and members will now receive another paid holiday.

On March 25, members of UFCW Local 400 who work at the Green Goods cannabis dispensary in Rockville, Md., voted to ratify their first union contract. The workers, who voted unanimously to approve the collective bargaining agreement, joined UFCW Local 400 last year.

The contract includes the following provisions:

•           Guaranteed wage increases over the life of the agreement

•           Retirement investment option

•           Minimum hours of work for full-timers and minimum hours per shift for part-timers

•           Secured daily cash tip distribution

•           Paid breaks

•           Paid holidays and paid time off

•           Paid bereavement leave

•           A grievance procedure to resolve disputes with management

•           Health and safety commitments from the employer

The Green Goods workers are part of a growing wave of cannabis dispensaries in Maryland that have recently unionized with UFCW Local 400, including the Apothecarium in Burtonsville; Sweetspot in Olney; Story Cannabis locations in Hyattsville and Mechanicsville; Potomac Holistics in Rockville; and Zen Leaf in Germantown.