On Wednesday, September 16, UFCW Local 152 members who work in the meat, seafood, deli, and some bakery departments at Acme Markets in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware stood together and overwhelmingly voted to ratify a new contract!

Highlights

Perhaps the most significant highlight of the four-year contract, once again the Negotiating Committee of UFCW Local 152 was able to maintain no-cost-sharing of medical benefits! These Acme Markets members will continue to pay nothing out-of-pocket for their healthcare plan for the duration of the contract. As healthcare costs continue to skyrocket around the nation, 100% Employer-paid health benefits are without question a colossal win for our members!

The newly ratified contract also implemented immediate across-the-board wage increases, as well as increases each year for the life of the contract and an updated progression scale. Furthermore, a few core positions were reclassified to offer additional compensation.

Finally, in addition to better clarifying language–including how paid time off will soon count toward the computation of overtime–the new contract also requires schedules to be posted earlier, so members can have better control of their work-life balance.

Committee

Congratulations to the Negotiating Committee and our members on this colossal win! The committee consisted of UFCW Local 152 President Brian String, Director of Collective Bargaining Daniel Ross, Jr, Assistant Director of Collective Bargaining Lisa Sanders, Director of Field Services Joe Stathius, Union Representative Cary Lawson, Union Representative Tom Hartle, and Union Representative Ed Fuller. It also included seventeen amazing Shop Stewards: Marian Brennan, Mike Caserta, Stacy Cottrell, Lois Crudele, Don Dixon, Jim Farnell, Linda Gorman, Frank Hampson, Anna Marie Hennigan, William Kreidler, Albert Marcachi, Joseph McNulty, Helen Pooler, Donna Oaks, Steve Rinaldi, Raymond Slamb, and Robert West. Great job by all! Negotiating a contract in the middle of a pandemic was not easy, especially one of this size!

UFCW Local 152 represents about 2,000 “meat contract” members at Acme Markets in southern New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and Delaware, which despite the name also includes members in the seafood, deli, and some bakery departments. Over the 129 years that Acme Markets has been in operation, they have remained dedicated to providing shoppers with a superior grocery experience that customers have come to expect, all made possible by our proud UFCW Local 152 members!

Photos

See photos below of our members voting and attending the ratification meetings.