Rite Aid and Bartell Workers Fight for Health Care
Workers from Rite Aid and Bartell continue a long and difficult struggle to keep their current health care benefits and afair contract. Meanwhile the two Drug retailers want to reduce benefits, and make workers choose employer provided health care plans.
Currently, the two employers pay into the Sound Health and Wellness Trust, a health benefit amount totaling $4.15 per hour for union employees. The Health Plan is something that worker-led union bargaining teams and the employers negotiated in the last contract. The amount paid by the employers provides high quality health care for employees in the retail industry. If the changes being proposed by these companies in the current negotiations were to be accepted, all employees would start paying more for less benefit.
Federal Mediator Coming In
|
In It Together All retail drug employees need to know that we, the UFCW 21 Member Bargaining Committees are working to keep benefits strong. If a weak contract were accepted, it will have a direct impact at the bargaining table with other employers and employees would be directly impacted. |
The long struggle continues to be difficult and a Federal Mediator has been called in to assist with bargaining with Rite Aid. Our union is waiting to see how bargaining goes with Rite Aid and may have to seek a Federal Mediator for Bartell Bargaining in the near future.
As health care continues to be a major challenges right now and national health care reform is getting closer to being implemented, all members need to work together to make sure workers do not suffer additional setbacks when it comes to wages and benefits. Sometimes that means contract talks take longer than planned and members have to stand together to keep benefits from being stripped away.
Our union and the members on the committee know that this has been and continues to be a long process. However, the outcome will be better for all workers over the next several years if we stick together and remember that we want the best possible outcome for all.
Please watch your mail in the near future for updates on Rite Aid and Bartell bargaining.
