More than 300 members of UFCW Local 371 who work at Ben & Jerry’s production facilities in St. Albans and Waterbury, Vt., ratified their first union contract on Nov. 26. Workers at the Waterbury and St. Albans facilities won union recognition by way of card check through an existing global agreement with Ben & Jerry’s parent company, Unilever, which establishes union neutrality and card check recognition at all Unilever worksites.
The three-year contract was ratified by an overwhelming majority of the members. During negotiations, the local was successful in pressuring the company to change over to the UFCW New England Health Fund. Ben & Jerry’s members will now enjoy quality and affordable health coverage for themselves and their families, which includes medical, prescription, dental, and optical coverage and a cost savings of up to $8,000 a year in weekly premiums alone. The contract also guarantees 14 percent wage increases over the next three years, with a 16 percent pay raise between now and April 27, and a move towards a hybrid eight- and 12-hour shift pattern, giving members more flexibility to balance the needs of their families with the needs of the production facilities.
Additional contract provisions include:
- Protection of workers’ 401(k) plan with a 9 percent company match.
- Six months of paid short-term disability and six additional months of long-term disability.
- Paid parental leave.
- Longevity based ratification bonuses of up to $2,000.
“I’m so proud of my co-workers for sticking together and demanding better,” said Jeff Johnson, who works at the Ben & Jerry’s production facility in St. Albans and served as a member of the bargaining committee. “The union difference is clear and joining UFCW Local 371 will make a huge difference for us. Joining the union’s health insurance and getting consistent wages means hundreds more in each of my co-worker’s checks each month, and protecting our retirement and our paid time off gives us the security we need in uncertain times.”
“After a long organizing campaign and long negotiations, we are starting in the right direction to recapturing a time in the past when employees were happy and lining up the door for jobs and the company’s production goals were being exceeded,” said Bernie Sweet, Jr., who works at the Ben & Jerry’s production facility in Waterbury and also served as a member of the bargaining committee.