On Wednesday, June 11th, a bargaining unit of clerical workers at the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office in Cape May Court House, New Jersey, ratified their first union contract! The ratification was accepted by the Board of County Commissioners on June 24th, officially giving the workers a voice on the job and securing wages and benefits. Congratulations!

These clerical workers perform essential duties for the office to run. In October 2024, they collectively contacted the UFCW Local 152 organizing department to learn how forming a union at their workplace could benefit the office. Unionizing public sector entities is a straightforward process. All workers stood together and unanimously signed authorization cards to demonstrate “sufficient interest” required by the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) and went straight to negotiating their first contract.

First contracts require much time, effort, and resources to achieve because they set the groundwork for all future negotiations. With the implementation of the new three-year agreement, these workers are no longer “at-will” employees and have secured provisions like holidays, paid time off, the grievance and arbitration procedure, and seniority in a legally protected document.

Additionally, workers at the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office will now receive guaranteed annual wage increases, including retro pay back to the beginning of the year. It also added premiums on top of their base pay for certifications, abilities, and educational experience. The contract also defined sick leave parameters and pay, including a sick leave incentive program and buyback program.

Committee

Congratulations to our newest UFCW Local 152 members and the tireless union negotiating committee! Thank you for your hard work and commitment to making the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office a better place to work. 

The union negotiating committee included Director of Organizing Mike Thompson, Communications Representative Alley Snow, workers Linda McGann and Kate Schuhl, and legal counsel from Kevin Jarvis and Tom Karpousis of O’Brien, Belland, and Bushinsky, LLC.

Why not you?

Are you interested in learning more about how UFCW Local 152 can help you and your coworkers? Learn how to start a union or email Director of Organizing Mike Thompson at mthompson@ufcwlocal152.org today!