President John T. Niccollai
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JOHN T. NICCOLLAI JUNE 18, 2025
REPORT OF SECOND MAJOR EMPLOYER CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS SESSION
President Niccollai reported on the second (2nd) negotiations meeting involving ShopRite, Stop & Shop, Kings, Foodtown, DeCicco’s, and various independent Employers. At this second (2nd) meeting the Employers basically sought to completely gut almost all provisions that benefit our Union workforce. Among the more repugnant Company demands are the following:
- Restructuring of our Welfare Fund to require co-payment by participating members and the establishment of a new part-time medical program grossly reducing the coverage currently provided to the part-time workforce.
- Completely rewriting our Pension Plan with the elimination of the guaranteed payouts provided by a Defined Benefit Plan.
- Elimination of our Educational and Legal Benefits for all newly hired employees.
- Elimination of the Replacement Clause, which would eliminate the need of replacing full-time employees with other full-time employees upon retirement, termination, or exiting the workforce.
- Requiring full-time employees to punch-in and punch-out for all rest periods.
- Elimination of the language to protect against terminations or job reductions caused by technological change.
- Deletion of all top wages provided in the contract under Schedule A.
- Elimination of language requiring the replacement of full-time employees who are laid off prior to the hiring of new part-time employees.
- Elimination of language requiring the promotion of part-time employees to full-time where they have worked full-time hours in excess of eight (8) consecutive weeks.
- A failure to include any language granting wage increases for either full-time or part-time employees.
- Numerous other clauses relating to concessions, givebacks, and reductions.
The Company counter proposals almost appear to be a compilation of demands designed to conjure up anger and fear among our brothers and sisters. Without question the Company demands are not a road to achieving a contract. It is more obvious than ever that these negotiations will not be easy and that we all have a tough “row to hoe”. Please rest assure your Union Staff along with our rank and file Contract Committee Members are up to the task ahead and we will leave no stone unturned to deliver a contract worthy of your ratification. We will continue to keep the membership informed.