The new contract calls for the company to increase its contributions to the employee health-care fund by 8 percent each year—the same company proposal workers had rejected and struck over on October 13. But Kroger also agreed to pay up to 2.5 percent more annually if a consultant determines that more is needed.

According to a report in the December 12 Charleston Gazette, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 president James Lowthers said the consultant will be from Milliman USA, an actuarial firm that union leaders cited repeatedly during the strike as saying that 8 percent annual increases would leave employee benefits short. Milliman has worked with the employees’ health-care fund for 15 years.

The new contract contains wage increases of 20 cents and 25 cents per hour in the first and third years of the contract, and lump sum payments of $300 and $500 in the second and fourth years.

One worker interviewed by the Gazette expressed displeasure with the wage settlement. “I’ve been working there for 11 years, and I’m still part-time,” Evelyn Robertson said after voting on the agreement. “I only make $8.65 an hour now, and if this passes, I’ll only be making $9.05.”

In California 70,000 UFCW members at Safeway, Albertsons, and Ralphs, a Kroger-owned subsidiary, have been on strike or locked out since October 11, two days before the strike began in West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky.

Lowthers announced that he and 600 to 700 UFCW local presidents plan to travel to California December 15 to reinforce workers there, reported the Gazette. “We’re going to California to support those workers for the long haul. The people there have the same resolve as the people here,” he said.

Before the ink was dry on the new agreement, Kroger announced the closing of three of the 44 stores that were struck in the three eastern states. Between 30 and 40 Local 400 members work at each of the closed stores.  
 
 
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