St. Louis Grocery Workers Ready to Vote on New Contract

Associates at Schnucks, Dierbergs and Shop ‘n Save stores in the St. Louis area expect to vote Nov. 2 on a new union contract.

More than 9,000 members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655 have been working under contract extensions since their three-year contract with the area’s three largest grocery chains expired May 15, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Details of the agreement were unavailable; the three grocers declined to discuss the contract or were unavailable for comment. Local 655 spokesman Ed Finkelstein, told the Post-Dispatch that the union’s bargaining committee would recommend acceptance. He said the poor economy had contributed to the challenging nature of the more than 60 contract bargaining sessions.

The contract covers unionized checkers, baggers and stockers, plus bakery, produce, pharmacy and frozen-food workers at more than 100 supermarkets on the Missouri side of the St. Louis metro area (stores in Metro East have contracts through Chicago-based UFCW Local 881).