We had had to fight for many years to secure the employment benefits that our members enjoy today. Indeed, many benefits that we take for granted today, like the forty (40) hour work week, were things that our brothers and sisters struggled to achieve.
For example, in 1938 the grocery contracts of the Retail Clerks Protective Association, the predecessor to Local 7, provided for the following: Full-time employees were allowed one-week vacation after completion of one full year’s service. There were six recognized holidays. If an employee worked a recognized holiday or on a Sunday, he or she was allowed compensatory time off during the workweek. The basic workweek was 55 hours per week.
The grocery contracts covering 1941 and 1942 reflected some fairly decent wage increases for employees and had a provision for time and one half (1 1/2) after 65 hours of work. Now we all receive overtime after 40 hours of work or for more than eight (8) hours of work in any given day.
The first contractual recognition of female employees came in 1942-1943. The contract provided that after six months of service female employees would be paid $24.50 per week, a significant increase from the $21.12 employees received in wages for the first six months of employment. Although this was less than the male employees, it was the first step toward equality for our female workforce.
In 1944, the basic workweek was changed in the clerks contract to six–eight hour days (48 hours per week). Most notably however, was that the wage rates for males and females were equalized!
The first strike for the food clerks occurred in November 1946. As a result, wages were increased from $.78 per hour to $1.00 per hour. Over the next couple of years the wage scales were brought up to $1.28 and the first COST OF LIVING ALLOWANCE escalator was negotiated. In the fall of 1952, another bitter strike occurred over the Union’s attempt to establish a forty-hour workweek. The strike failed to produce the forty hour work week, but the settlement contained a commitment from the companies to incorporate a five day, forty hour week in the next contract.
A degree of peace settled on negotiations after these strikes and the contract settlements of 1955 and 1958 produced the first forty hour work week, night premium ($0.05 per hour), wages of $54.80 per week after two years of service and Local 7’s first health and welfare plan. During the 1960’s, Local 7 successfully organized several areas to the north and south of Denver, established a pension plan, and negotiated double time for holidays.
The 1970-1973 contract brought about a dental plan, vacation schedule improvements and many other positive changes.
Retail Clerks Local No. 308 merged into Local 7 expanding its strength and jurisdiction throughout Colorado. In 1975, a very successful strike in Glenwood Springs and Steamboat Springs brought the Western Slope clerks to parity with the Denver Clerks who had previously enjoyed $1.00 per hour more in wages than their brothers and sisters in the Western part of the state.
In 1987 the major chains wanted major concessions! They proposed to eliminate all premium pay (Holiday premium, Sunday premium, Night premium, Evening premium), as well as reduce vacations by a week, force a $2.00 an hour pay cut and decrease insurance charges. As a result the King Soopers members went on strike for twenty-nine (29) days until a settlement was reached. Through their strength and solidarity, the premium pays scaled back but were not eliminated, there was no loss in vacation, however, there was a pay cut of $1.00 an hour and the members did lose their evening premium. The Companies primary concern was that they wanted "an equal playing field" with the competition, since Cub Foods was the new player in the Denver market. At that time Cub's was paying it's employees a lesser amount and their health insurance benefits were substandard. This is why it is so important to ORGANIZE/UNIONIZE other stores: it doesn't allow Companies the argument of not "having an equal playing field" due to competition during negotiations.
In 1980 Kaiser Permanente organized the First Healthcare Unit to join Local 7.
In 1990 there were wage and pension improvements and the Unionization of the Denver Cub Foods Stores and in 1992 the Retirees Health and Welfare issues were addressed. We needed to ensure that our Retirees received the Healthcare that they had helped to secure.
The Safeway negotiations of 1993 resulted in members receiving pay in lieu of taking personal holidays and an additional seven (7) days without pay for funeral leave.
In 1996 there was a forty-two (42) day strike/lock out with Safeway and King Soopers. Through negotiations we preserved Maintenance Of Benefits and wages and pension contributions were increased.
In 1998 we organized the Kaiser Permanente's Mental Healthcare Unit. This was the second Healthcare Unit to join UFCW Local 7. A one day strike earned the mental healthcare providers no subcontracting language. Additionally, a contract was negotiated that provided for strong wages and better working conditions.
In 1999 we again secured wage and pension improvements for our Grocery folks and we maintained our level benefits. In addition, Safeway diverted $0.20 from the Benefits Improvement Plan into the Pension Plan.
Since the International merger which occurred in 1978, several mergers have occurred at the local level. These mergers include, the Barbers and Beauticians Locals, Local 641 (the Packinghouse Division), Local 634 (Retail Meat and Allied Industries Divisions of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of America) and a UFCW Local in Wyoming. Local 7 now represents working men and women in all of Colorado and Wyoming. Local 7 now consists of almost 23,000 members and has established the following divisions:
Retail Food Division
Retail Meat and Allied Industries Division
Professional and Healthcare Division
Packing House Division
Barbers and Cosmetology Division
As a member of U.F.C.W. Local 7, you have the privilege of being a union member and should take pride in belonging to this aggressive and active union.
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