SUPREME COURT BLOCKS VAX OR TEST BIDEN MANDATE FOR ALL BUT HEALTH CARE WORKERS
President John T. Niccollai
President's Message
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2022
HEALTH INSURANCE WILL REIMBURSE FOR AT-HOME COVID TESTS
President Niccollai announced today, on behalf of the Union Reimbursement Medical Plan, that there will be a modification to cover the cost of At-Home COVID Tests for members and their eligible dependents under a program requiring the submission of a claim form, accompanied by a receipt acknowledging proof of purchase.
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UPDATE ON COVID TESTING FOR NON-VACCINATED MEMBERS
As we get closer to the February 9, 2022 deadline for employees either being vaccinated or tested, we continue negotiations with our Employers. Obviously, as we stated in our previous posting of December 30, 2021 we are vehemently opposed to the cost of the tests being paid by the employee.
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THURSDAY - DECMEBER 23, 2021
As we regress over the past year, many of us view it as “A Trip to Hell and Back Again”. First the Omega variant of Covid-19 and now the Omicron variant, but these are not the thoughts we should be having during this holiday season. We should count our blessings and all the things for which we are thankful for like:
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2021
PAYROLL – STOP & SHOP EMPLOYEES
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SALE OF PERLMART STORES TO SAKER SHOPRITEYour Local Union continues to work diligently to assure all our Brothers and Sisters that the transition of the Perlmart Stores to Saker ShopRite ownership will be smooth and painless.
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The Local 464A UFCW Welfare Service Benefit Fund (“Welfare Fund”) provides medical, prescription drug, dental, vision and legal service benefits to eligible Members and their eligible, enrolled dependents. The Welfare Fund is funded by contributions from employers under collective bargaining agreements with the Union. The Welfare Fund is governed and administered by a Joint Board of Trustees.
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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JOHN T. NICCOLLAI : FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2021
FINAST MEMBERS ATTAIN INDUSTRY CONTRACT
INCLUDING NO CO-PAY MEDICAL
President Niccollai reported today that the Finast Negotiations were extremely difficult but because of our unshakeable Membership support, we prevailed in all areas.
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SALE OF PERLMART STORES TO SAKER SHOPRITE
Your Local Union continues to work diligently to assure all our Brothers and Sisters that the transition of the Perlmart Stores to Saker ShopRite ownership will be smooth and painless.
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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JOHN T. NICCOLLAI : The General Membership Meeting for Tuesday, December 14, 2021 will be held telephonically at 7:00 P.M. Members who wish to participate should contact JoAnn Piscitelli at 973-256-6790 in order to verify membership and obtain access instructions for participating.
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RATIFICATION VOTE – FINAST CONTRACT
President Niccollai reported today that the Ballots were tabulated regarding the Ratification Vote of the Company’s Final Offer for our Finast Brothers and Sisters.
We are pleased to report the results as follows:
YES VOTES – 263
VOTES TO STRIKE – 2
NO VOTE – 1
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FINAST CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
President Niccollai reported that after a long session of contentious negotiations and some progress, there are still monumental problems that remain unresolved in our negotiations. Your Committee has emphatically impressed upon the Company the fact that we expect the Industry Contract, including no co-pay for part-time or full-time Medical. The Company has indicated that they have taken the position that with other Locals paying a portion of their Health Care they can no longer absorb the total cost.
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The Annual Shop Stewards Seminar will be held on Tuesday, October 19, 2021. In order to safeguard the well-being of our Shop Stewards, the event will be held in a large outdoor tent in the parking lot of The Brownstone, 351 West Broadway, Paterson, NJ 07522. We will be observing social distancing and participants may or may not wear masks, since it will be outdoors, depending on individual comfort levels. The program will include lectures and informational discussions. The purpose of the Seminar is to train Shop Stewards to be more effective in resolving proble
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HAPPY LABOR DAY!!
As we approach Labor Day this year, we must always remember that it’s not just a day off from work filled with family and friends.
The first Labor Day Celebration was organized in New York City in 1882 to honor Union Members and their Unions for what they did for working people everywhere. Over time, the holiday spread to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories.
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KINGS UPDATE – RETENTION BONUS
What is less confusing than contract language that states, “A Retention Bonus of two hundred dollar ($200.00) for all full-time employees and one hundred dollars ($100.00) for part-time employees”? Your Union is now in the process of working with Kings to get the miscalculation of the Retention Bonus corrected, and working together we will fix the problem.
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TELEPHONIC SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 MEMBERSHIP MEETING
The General Membership Meeting for Tuesday, September 14, 2021 will be held telephonically at 7:00 P.M. Members who wish to participate should contact JoAnn Piscitelli at 973-256-6790 in order to verify membership and obtain access instructions for participating.
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RETROACTIVE OVERTIME RECALCULATION PAYMENT FOR
EMPLOYEES OF SHOPRITE, PRICERITE, FRESH GROCER
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KINGS UPDATE – RETENTION BONUS – UNUSED VACATION PAY
Your Union is pleased to report success concerning the payment of the Retention Bonus now projected for inclusion in this week’s pay period. As you will recall, the Retention Bonus is $200.00 for full-time members and $100.00 for part-time members on the payroll as of May 31, 2021.
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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 30, 2021
KINGS UPDATE – RAISES, RETRO PAY AND UNUSED VACATION
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ACME MEMBERS RECEIVED RAISES AND RETRO --
KINGS IS NEXT!President Niccollai reported today that after weeks of contentious negotiations with ACME, we were successful in getting the Company to honor their projection that raises and retro money would be paid out by the middle of July.
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STATE OF NEW YORK CHILDCARE ESSENTIAL WORKER
SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
President Niccollai reported that our International Union notified us today that Governor Cuomo has enacted a $25 million Childcare Scholarship Program for Essential Workers, which includes our members working in the Food Industry in New York.
The process to apply for this program is online and rather than attempting to cover all aspects of the program, we will provide the link and interested New York members can proceed directly.
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POSITIVE PROGRESS ON KINGS AND ACME
CONTRACT RAISES AND RETRO PAYPresident Niccollai reported today that as everyone is aware, your Union has been in constant contact with every possible source in order to get our contract raises and retro pay money from Kings Supermarkets and ACME Markets. Apparently our efforts are now turning out to be successful and the wage raises may hit in as early as the first or second week in July; the retro pay should follow shortly thereafter.
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RAISES AND RETRO PAY FOR MEMBERS OF KINGS SUPERMARKETS AND ACME MARKETS
President Niccollai reported today that several members have inquired as to the status of the raises and retro pay for our Brothers and Sisters of Kings and ACME.
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WAGE INCREASES IN COMPANY SELECTED STORES AND DEPARTMENTS
President Niccollai reported today that it has come to your Union’s attention that several of our Employers are unilaterally granting wage increases in stores and departments they select because of alleged difficulty in staffing the stores.
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TELEPHONIC JUNE 15, 2021 MEMBERSHIP MEETING
The General Membership Meeting for Tuesday, June 15, 2021 will be held telephonically at 7:00 P.M. Members who wish to participate should contact JoAnn Piscitelli at 973-256-6790 in order to verify membership and obtain access instructions for participating.
To hold the meeting telephonically, we must notify the Host Company as to the approximate number of participants. We must, therefore, ask members who would like to participate to contact JoAnn Piscitelli no later than Tuesday, June 8, 2021.
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Please be advised that the deadline for submitting the 2021 Scholarship is approaching. All scholarship applications must be received by June 1, 2021. Do not miss out on this opportunity. Click the attached 2021 Scholarship Application, fill it out completely and send it back with the required documentation to our office at 245 Paterson Avenue, Little Falls, NJ 07424, Attention: Scholarship Committe. You can also email the completed application and required documentation to ufcw464a@rcn.com, Attention: Scholarshi
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SHORTAGE OF ADEQUATE WORKERS
President Niccollai reported today that as Frontline Employees in the Food Industry, we are experiencing an inability by some of our Union Employers to properly staff departments. This situation is occurring because of several factors:
First, there are people still fearful of returning to work because of COVID-19 issues.
Second, workers, especially women, are unable to return to the job because they have children not fully attending school on a daily basis.
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ACME SUPERMARKETS RATIFICATION VOTE
Your Union is pleased to report the outcome of the ACME Supermarkets ratification vote as follows:
Total Number of Votes: 816
Number of Yes Votes: 811
Number of No Votes: 4
Number of Non Votes: 1
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KINGS CONTRACT UPDATE
SUCCESS – KINGS WINS IMPLEMENTATION OF INDUSTRY CONTRACT WITH WAGE INCREASE RETROACTIVITY
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KINGS CONTRACT UPDATE
President Niccollai reported today that unfortunately the Rumor Mill has been running rampant concerning the status of our Kings Contract. Please pay no attention to the Rumor Mill. There was no contract extension for a year.
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COVID-19 UPDATE
A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE VACCINE TUNNEL
FOR FOOD WORKERS!
President Niccollai reported today that as you know from prior postings, your Union has been unwavering in our attempt to achieve recognition of “our Essential Worker status” for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Well, we can finally report success on that issue.
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TELEPHONIC MARCH 9, 2021 MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Based upon the Coronavirus Pandemic social gathering restrictions, and also in order to assure membership safety, the General Membership Meeting for Tuesday, March 9, 2021 will be held telephonically at 7:00 P.M. Members who wish to participate should contact JoAnn Piscitelli at 973-256-6790 in order to verify membership and obtain access instructions for participating.
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COVID-19 UPDATE
STOP THE HESITATION AND EXPEDITE THE VACCINATION!
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KINGS BANKRUPTCY UPDATE
Your Union was notified today by our Kings Bankruptcy Attorneys that the Federal Trade Commission has cleared the issues that were holding up the sale to ACME and, further, the sale should close on or about January 23, 2021. As we know, this sale relates to 27 stores and we need to continue in our quest with ACME and our other Union Employers to get positions for any Kings member displaced and seeking employment.
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KINGS BANKRUPTCY UPDATE
PROOF OF ADMINISTRATIVE CLAIM FORM -
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As we approach the Holiday Season with a vaccine just around the corner, we have many reasons to be thankful.
As essential workers, we continue to bring home a well deserved paycheck, where many in the labor force have not seen money in over ten months.
Our contract negotiations were a tremendous success and will provide for our Full-time and Part-time workforce for many years to come, especially with our no co-pay healthcare.
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ACME SUPERMARKETS HAZARD PAY UPDATE
In the last several days, your Union has received inquiries both telephonically and through our Delegates in the field concerning the ACME Supermarkets hazard pay issue.
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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JOHN T. NICCOLLAI
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2020TELEPHONIC DECEMBER 15, 2020 MEMBERSHIP MEETING
Based upon the Coronavirus Pandemic social gathering restrictions, and also in order to assure membership safety, the General Membership Meeting for Tuesday, December 15, 2020 will be held telephonically at 7:00 P.M. Members who wish to participate should contact JoAnn Piscitelli at 973-256-6790 in order to verify membership and obtain access instructions for participating.
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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JOHN T. NICCOLLAI
FRIDAY, MARCH 19, 2021
ACME CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
President Niccollai reported that the Union and the Company met yesterday virtually for the second negotiation at 10:00 A.M. At this meeting, the Company presented the Union Committee with a list of counter-proposals, which included in part the following: -
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE - FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2021
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AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JOHN T. NICCOLLAI
Based upon the Coronavirus Pandemic social gathering restrictions, and also in order to assure membership safety, the General Membership Meeting for Tuesday, December 15, 2020, will be held telephonically at 7:00 P.M. Members who wish to participate should contact JoAnn Piscitelli at 973-256-6790 in order to verify membership and obtain access instructions for participating. -
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT JOHN T. NICCOLLAI - 11-30-2020
In the last several days, your Union has received inquiries both telephonically and through our Delegates in the field concerning the ACME Supermarkets hazard pay issue.
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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2020KINGS BANKRUPTCY UPDATE
WARN NOTICE -
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2020
RESULTS OF CONTRACT RATIFICATION VOTE
FOODTOWN AND TOPS
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2020
RESULTS OF CONTRACT RATIFICATION VOTEPresident Niccollai reported late this afternoon that the votes taken among the Stop & Shop and ShopRite members were individually counted by a member of our Elected Contract Committee from each Company, along with the Union Contract Committee Members.
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CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDATE
President Niccollai reported this evening that a tentative settlement has been reached with Stop & Shop, ShopRite and Foodtown for a new agreement, which will guarantee no co-pay medical benefits to both full-time and part-time members for the entire term. This accomplishment is monumental and comes at substantial cost to our Employers.
Other noteworthy highlights include:
• Continuation of our Defined Benefit Pension Plan. -
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CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS UPDAT - President Niccollai reported today that the Union Contract Negotiating Committee met again today with the Negotiating Committee for the Employers. The Company gave us a second contract proposal, which was slightly better than the first proposal, but still far short of our goals and needs. The biggest positive move made by the Employers related to the fact that they will continue to fund our Defined Benefit Pension Plan for both full-time and part-time members. The biggest disappointment is the Company’s position to require a 9 ½% deduction fro
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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2020
KINGS BANKRUPTCY UPDATE
President Niccollai reported today that the Rumor Mill is running wild again, with stories being issued by uninformed sources that are undermining the workforce and the integrity of the Company. Let’s all take a few minutes, settle down and deal with the facts and not a Rumor Mill that’s always negative and hurtful.
First, ACME is the successful bidder for 27 stores and seeks to enhance the reputation of Kings and grow the business. (That’s very positive.)