GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- By a margin of more than 70%, members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 951 who work at 11 Kroger stores in mid-Michigan have voted to approve a new contract. The new agreement covers approximately 900 UFCW 951 members and will be in effect until October 2011. Ratification voting took place in several locations on January 30 and 31, 2008.

UFCW 951 and Kroger agreed to open talks early on a contract not scheduled to expire until this October in order to give 951's members health benefit improvements reached previously in a contract covering Kroger workers, belonging to UFCW Local 876. The new contract will also provide members with earlier top rate wage increases and other improvements.

"This is the kind of solid union contract that protects good paying jobs with good benefits in Michigan," commented UFCW 951 President Marv Russow. "We see this contract and our constructive relationship with Kroger as a basis for the continued growth and success of Kroger in mid-Michigan," Russow added.

UFCW 951 is one of Michigan's largest local unions, representing 30,000 members who work across the state at Meijer, Harding's, Plumb's, Polly's, Rite Aid, Knouse Foods, Orchard Grove Extended Care Center, and Fry Krisp in addition to Kroger.

UFCW 951