On Feb. 12, over 1,000 members of UFCW Local 152 who work in the retail departments at Acme Markets in New Jersey ratified a historic new contract that protects benefits and strengthens wages. These members are employed as retail clerks at Acme Markets stores in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and southern Ocean counties in New Jersey.
The four-year contract protects the members’ high-quality health care benefits with no out-of-pocket cost-sharing. The contract also includes immediate across-the-board wage increases for all members, including top-of-scale workers. All members will receive competitive annual raises, as well. Rated positions and night crew workers will receive noteworthy premiums, with the latter guaranteeing a respectable $3.00 per hour premium. The agreement also updates the progression scale.
Additionally, Acme Markets has agreed to yearly increases to all members’ monthly contribution rates to the UFCW Local 152 Savings Fund to help them prepare for a more comfortable retirement. At the conclusion of the four-year agreement, full-timers will obtain a nearly 65 percent increase in their contribution rate and part-timers will have doubled their contribution rate.
Workers at Acme Markets traditionally had to use their vacation time in weekly increments. With the implementation of the new contract, members are now able to request all time off in single-day increments, allowing them to distribute their vacation days more conveniently. All employees can now carry over one week of vacation to the following year. Paid holidays, vacation, and personal days will now count toward the computation of overtime. The contract also includes formal language that gives the union an open door to have discussions with Acme Markets for extenuating circumstances, such as pandemics and other emergencies.
