December 1, 2009

OUR EFFORTS MAKE THE BINGHAMTON PAPER...

Union trying to organize workers at Weis

By My-Ly Nguyen •mnguyen@gannett.com Press & Sun

A union is trying to organize workers at Weis Markets in the Binghamton area, according to information posted on the union's Web site and included in a mass mailing to some area residents.

United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local One, based in Oriskany, claims employees at Weis are concerned about wages and predicted cost increases for health insurance.

Weis spokesman Dennis Curtin said the company offers competitive wages and benefits to its employees.

"Like every company in America, our health insurance costs continue to skyrocket, tripling over the past 10 years," Curtin said. "Despite these challenges, we will continue to offer affordable and high-quality health insurance benefits to our qualified associates."

Curtin couldn't provide specifics about next year's health insurance plan, but said Weis paid $8 million in health care costs 10 years ago and now pays $27 million.

For a broad range of employees, wages are equivalent to what Giant had paid, he said. Weis acquired 11 Giant stores in Broome County in August.

Participating employees have been on an MVP health care plan, which will no longer be offered to the workers. The health care plan for next year will be Guardian, the union said.

Curtin confirmed MVP is the current medical insurance provider, but said the union's information about Guardian is wrong.

Gregory Gorea, executive assistant to the president of the union, said employees will likely see more money deducted from their weekly paychecks in 2010 for health insurance, but he couldn't provide specific figures.

Employees also are worried Weis will close some former Giant stores, resulting in job losses, said the union. But the union noted no evidence of this occurring.

Gorea said employees from nearly every Weis store in the Binghamton area have contacted his group about unionizing, but wouldn't specify how many workers.

The union recently mailed about 22,000 postcards to Binghamton-area residents highlighting the employees' unionizing efforts, Gorea said.

The postcards were sent to "anybody that ever showed an interest in Giant markets: shoppers, employees, people that we know that answered surveys that said they shopped at Giant," he said. Gorea didn't say how the union obtained the names.

Weis, based in Sunbury, Pa., has discouraged the unionizing efforts, he said.

"Already, they've sent a crew in from Pennsylvania to each store telling people not to talk to us," Gorea said. "We have a fight on our hands, but Weis management has a fight on their hands."

No store in the Weis chain of 165 groceries in five states is unionized, Curtin said.

"Many of our associates have already volunteered they have no interest in joining a union," he said.

Local One has about 20,000 members in upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania, Gorea said. The union represents workers at P&C in the Town of Owego, he said.

Former Giant Employees (current Weis employees), are forming organizing committees in the Binghamton Area of the Southern Tier of New York.  Employees are joining together to form a union of former Giant employees to protect their wages, benefits and working conditions.

ISSUES AT WEIS/GIANT:

Healthcare Co-Pays
At the end of this year, former Giant Employees will leave the MVP health care plan, and go into Weis' Guardian Health Care Plan. 
The plan will be a higher cost for employees out of their paycheck.  The co-pays for the new Weis employees will be going up significantly come January when they are officially in the new Weis Guardian Plan.

Weis Wage Increases
Weis is notorious for low wage increases.  Former Giant Employees do not want their health care co-pays eating up any wage increases.
The new Guardian Plan will be higher in cost, thus eating up most or all of any wage increase come January 2010.

Store Consolidation
Former Giant Employees are scared that some former Giant stores will close or consolidate.  What happens with seniority and bumping, will everyone keep their same job?
There is no evidence that any former Giant stores are closing or consolidating, but employees are still concerned.

Store Management
Giant employees are accustomed to management that is caring, and there to help employees with problems or any concerns they may have had.  The Weis management style is a rough and gruff style. Giant employees are having a hard time with the pressures Weis is putting on the store management team, and it is making it hard for some employees and managers Weis management have been telling employees NOT to speak to representatives from UFCW Local One.  Why? Because Weis management knows that forming a union will be beneficial to their employees and they will do everthing in their power to prevent it!

Labor Contract
Giant employees know that some Weis management has a labor agreement with the Weis Corporation.   
Some management officials have labor contracts with the Weis Corporation, so why shouldn't former Giant Employees have the same rights that come in a labor agreement.

Are You or Do You Know a Weis Employee that wants to learn more about
joining together to form a union of Weis(Giant) Employees?
 

ALL COMMUNICATION WITH UFCW LOCAL ONE IS STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL!
CALL 1-800-697-8329, Ext. 2320 or
e-mail greg@ufcwone.org