ATTENTION:

This is the Employer's original Proposal.

Do not jump off the deep end.

There are several more rounds of negotiations scheduled before a final agreement is reached.

At the end of negotiations on 4-2-08, both sides agreed to revamp and revise their proposals to better serve the needs of both sides.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the union office or the members of the negotiating committee. Please limit talking about negotiations at your place of employement to before or after work.

Again, this is the original proposal - this is not what was settled on or even what you might vote on. This is a proposal only. This is not the final version.

Arrowhead Retail Grocers Alliance

Employers’ Proposal – Meat Unit

April 1, 2008

1.  Article 1. – Union Shop. 

a.  Modify 1.6 to duplicate management’s right language contained in Grocery Unit (GU) contract (GU paragraph 1.2)

b.  Modify 1.6 to confirm the Employer’s right to deviate from the terms and conditions of this Agreement in an emergency.

c.  Modify 1.5 to provide for union initiation fee waiver for new employees under age 21 and over age 65.

d.  Add new paragraph 1.7:

“Should the Union negotiate any term, provision, or condition in any collective bargaining agreement with an employer competitor to the employer signatory hereto, then the employer signatory hereto shall, at such employer’s sole and unfettered discretion, be able to adopt such term, provision, or condition as a term, provision, or condition of this Agreement.  If a term, provision, or condition relating to the same subject matter already exists in this Agreement, then the signatory employer may elect, at its sole discretion, whichever term, provision, or condition the signatory employer deems most beneficial to the employer signatory hereto and such term, provision, or condition shall be substituted for the existing term, provision, or condition.”

2.  Article 2 – Hours and Overtime.

a. Modify 2.3 to reflect one (1) week schedule posting instead of two (2) week schedule posting.

b.  Delete 2.7 as superfluous (see contract paragraph 17.11 with regards to availability to return to work)

3.  Article 3.  Miscellaneous Provisions. 

a.  Add the following sentence to 3.3:

“Overrate employees hired after April 30, 2005 may be frozen at the higher starting rate and not progress on the wage scale until after 24 months of continuous service.”

b.  Incorporate agreement on meat department head replacement from Letter of Understanding

4.  Article 8 – Vacations. 

a.  Modify 8.6 to read:

“If a vacation week becomes available after March 1st and the employer determines such vacation time may remain available because it does not conflict with the business, that time shall be selected in order of seniority.”

b.  Add to 8.6:  “Employer may block out up to three (3) weeks per year during which no vacations shall be scheduled.”

5.  Article 9 – Holidays.

a.  9.1  Delete Good Friday Pay

b.  9.1  Modify to read:

“In no event will an employee be required to work on two successive holidays on which the store is permitted to be open for business, provided the store can achieve, in the employer’s opinion, necessary staffing levels.”

c.  9.4  Modify read:

“.   .   .   regularly scheduled full-time and part-time food handling employees hired after April 30th, 2009 working in any holiday week, who have worked for two (2) consecutive years for the Employer   .   .   .”

6.  Article 10 – Seniority.  Modify 10.2 to make the probationary period 36 work shifts.

7.  Article 11 – Definition of Full-time and Part-time Employees.

a.  Change 11.1 to provide that a “full-time” employee is an employee who averages forty (40) scheduled hours or more per week, Monday through Saturday, for any health insurance contribution period.”

b.  Add to 11.1:

“Pay-in-lieu-of-vacation shall not be included in determining full-time or part-time status nor shall such pay be included in any benefit calculation.”

8.  Article 15 – Employment Termination

a.  Modify 15.2 to make the probationary period 36 work shifts.

b.  Modify 15.3 to clarify and define “intoxicated”

9.  Article 16 – Health and Welfare and Pension.

a.     16.2A       Contribution – Provide for employee co-pays equal to 25% of the monthly contribution rate for all employees participating in the health fund.

b.     16.2A       Change full-time contribution requirement to provide for one (1) full-time contribution for a full-time employee married to another employee, whether full-time or part-time, with no additional contribution to be paid on behalf of the other spouse.

c.     16.2A       Change to reflect that for a full-time contribution, a full-time employee must be “available to work for 150 hours” each “health insurance contribution period” instead of “month”

d.     16.2A       Change to reflect that for a part-time contribution, a part-time employee must be “available to work for 90 hours” each “health insurance contribution period” instead of “month”

10.          Article 17 – Funeral Leave.  Modify 17.2 to add “grandchild” to definition of "immediate family."

11.          Article 17 – Leaves of Absence

a.  Modify 17.3 to provide that non-work related medical leaves of absence are available after twelve (12) months of continuous employment and to provide for weekly status notification after first three (3) months of medical leave.

b.  Modify 17.11 to provide for one full week’s notice by employee of availability to return to work.

c.  Add provision in 17.11 that employees on leave of absence must return for one (1) full week’s schedule before taking vacation or personal days following the end of the employee’s leave of absence.

12.          Article 21 – Rates of Pay and Addendum “A”.  Discuss