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Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Smith's, Union in Tentative Accord
By Rivkela Brodsky
Journal Staff Writer
Smith's Food & Drug and the state's 2,000 union workers have reached a tentative labor contract agreement, although neither the company nor the union would release many of its details pending approval of the deal.
Greg Frazier, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1564, said the one-year agreement does address some of the health care coverage concerns the union was asking Kroger, Smith's parent company, to address. There are also some improvements for new hires included in the contract, he said.
The union, which represents workers at 26 stores in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Rio Rancho, Edgewood, Los Lunas, Grants, Socorro, Los Alamos and Taos, was asking for raises, a higher pay scale for new hires, future pension benefits to be kept at their current level, improved health fund contributions, and better health insurance coverage for Smith's New Mexico Division's workers and their families, among other things.
Frazier said the union negotiating committee is recommending the deal.
On Monday, Smith's issued a news release that stated details would not be released until the deal is ratified by union workers.
“Both Local 1564 and Smith's came together and worked hard to reach an agreement that provides quality jobs, increased wages and affordable, quality health care for associations and their families. This tentative agreement also keeps Smith's competitive in this marketplace,” Jim Hallsey, president of Smith's Food & Drug, said in the release.
Union members in Albuquerque voted on the deal Monday, and voting continues around the state through June 18. A contract extension is in place through the ratification process, Frazier said. A majority of workers would have to approve the contract for it to be ratified.
Frazier said the agreement was reached in the last few hours before the current contract expired Saturday.
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