ST. LOUIS, MO - Retailer Schnucks looks to be avoiding a strike once again, as the company and its union leaders have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract proposal.

“I am happy to announce that we have concluded negotiations with Schnucks and have a tentative contract agreement which has the unanimous recommendation of your bargaining committee,” shared UFCW Local 655 President David Cook in a statement to union members. “We are also anticipating finalizing negotiations with a tentative agreement for Dierbergs and Shop ‘n Save early next week and holding membership meetings shortly after.”

He also noted that a contract ratification meeting for Schnucks employees will be held Wednesday at 7 PM in the Family Arena in St. Charles.

As we reported in late September, members of the UFCW Local 655 had previously voted to reject a proposed three-year contract with Schnucks, with 89 percent voting against the offer. According to the St. Louis Business Journal, at the time, Schnucks’ proposed changes to the seniority portion of the contract would result in a reduction of 133 full-time jobs, eliminate guarantees of a minimum 25-hour schedule for part timers, eliminate holiday premium pay for new hires, as well as potentially cutting health care coverage. 

In a statement to Post-Dispatch, Chairman and CEO Todd Schnuck was quoted as saying, “We are proposing a 40 percent increase in pension contributions for current teammates. We believe the proposed contract offer is worthy of a ‘yes’ vote by our teammates.” 

The company's goal, it told the source at the time, is "to deliver a proposal that meets the needs of our teammates while keeping our business competitive against nonunion grocers and stores that sell food, and this includes some of the world's largest companies."

The contract covered over 4,500 members of the local working at Schnucks, a company that saw $2.7 billion in 2015 revenue. Keep your eyes towards AndNowUKnow for continued updates on the retailer’s battle.

Schnucks