Dive Summary:

• United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 has announced a vote to ratify a new agreement with Giant-Landover and Safeway.
• The three-year collective bargaining agreement affects nearly 17,000 workers in the Washington D.C. area.
• The contract will maintain employer-based health care for the majority of current and future Giant-Landover and Safeway employees.

Dive Insight:

The negotiation between the two sides was complicated by the rollout of the Affordable Healthcare Act and the subsequent impact on the potential cost of the collective bargaining agreement. “Unlike many other agreements, our members will keep their current health care benefits and won’t be forced onto the inferior plans offered through the ACA’s health care exchanges. Giant and Safeway will pay all benefits in full through the life of the contract, and our members’ pensions will be properly funded,” said Local 400 president Mark P. Federici.