Nearly 160 workers at Lassonde Pappas in Seabrook, N.J., ratified a new 18-month agreement this summer by a 95 percent margin. The UFCW Local 152 members work in the company’s production, warehouse, and mechanical departments, and include electricians, boiler operators, millwrights, and QA technicians.
The contract comes ahead of next year’s opening of a new, state-of-the-art facility being built to produce the company’s multiple-branded, shelf-stable fruit juices and cranberry sauces. The new deal delivers the largest immediate wage increase in the company’s history, doubles training pay, and maintains healthcare benefits with no cost increases.
All positions, including any new ones, will be located at the updated facility being built on an adjacent campus, and members are guaranteed job placement priority in the new space. The company will operate both the new and old facilities simultaneously during a two-year transition period.
Organizers say the short-term agreement is needed to manage the transition from the outdated production plant to the new location as the company’s staffing needs evolve.
“I’m incredibly proud of the work our entire negotiating committee put into this round of negotiations,” said UFCW Local 152 President Daniel Ross Jr. “Together, they reached an agreement that not only recognizes the hard work of our rank and file members today but positions the workforce and facility for continued growth well into the future. That is the truest intent of collective bargaining!”