In Negotiations with Acme for New Contract

Workers in Philadelphia area negotiate with Supervalu-owned Acme for new contract


Who:   UFCW  Local 1776 in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area has 4,200 members in contract with Supervalu/Acme

When: Contract expired on February 2nd, 2008. Negotiations are ongoing.

What's At Stake:  

Good, middle class jobs that provide for families and sustain the Philadelphia community.  Acme is one of the nation's oldest supermarkets (over 100 years old) and is an important part of the Philadelphia community. And the previous owners of Acme, in 1992, made a capital commitment to improve and grow the company and keep good jobs in Philadelphia.

 But since the company was bought first by Albertsons, and then taken over by Supervalu, the new owners have not reinvested in growth or run the company with an eye to the future.  Instead, prices at Acme are some of the highest in the Philadelphia area, forcing even employees to shop elsewhere.  In addition, Supervalu no longer values the commitment to opportunities and growth for employees--a fact that they are demonstrating with their latest contract proposals.  Not only would these proposals provide NO wage increases--instead offering an Acme gift card for employees, though most can't afford to shop there--Acme/Supervalu is also proposing a fifty percent reduction in contributions to employees' health and welfare plan. That would mean that by the end of the contract, essentially most or all medical coverage for employees would be eliminated, devastating workers and their families.

 And if those proposals weren't bad enough, Supervalu/Acme wants to demand a premium co-payment--as much as $30 a week--which the union has avoided by making tradeoffs in other areas of the contract in the past.  And the company wants significant pension cuts, more freedom to bring in vendors whenever they like, and reductions in vacation, holiday pay, and personal days. 

So what exactly is Supervalu/Acme proposing to reward their loyal employees for their hard work?  Not one thing.  In fact, it seems to many employees that the sole purpose of Supervalu/Acme's proposals is to drive employees out into the streets and turn good career jobs into dead-end low wage ones. This is unacceptable, and Local 1776 members and Acme employees intend to fight for a fair contract that rewards their hard work and dedication to their company, and provides them with the opportunity to grow with the company in good, middle-class jobs that provide for their families.  That's what's good for workers, good for Acme, and good for the Philadelphia-area community.