The union representing more than 3,500 Rite Aid employees said its members have ratified a new contract that includes wage increases and protections for health benefits and pensions.
The workers are represented by seven locals that are part of the United Food and Commercial Workers — UFCW Local 135 in San Diego and Imperial counties — along with locals 8GS, 324, 770, 1167, 1428, and 1442.
”Today, by ratifying this contract, Rite Aid workers secured historic wage increases for every member, protected our health benefits and secured our pension,” UFCW said in a statement.
“After countless hours at the bargaining table, the hard-working UFCW members stood together for their families and each other and won a strong contract. This contract is a concrete and direct result of the tireless work of the member-led bargaining committee and our members’ engagement in the fight.
Our members are fighting for a more promising future, and this contract will help to achieve that goal.”
The statement included key provisions of the agreement, which include:
-wage increases each year of the contract for all workers, with initial increases retroactive to July 21, 2024;
-protection of health care and pension benefits: Rite Aid has agreed to fully fund all health care and pension benefits with no changes for the duration of the contract; and
-protections to full-time and part-time guaranteed hours that the company tried to reduce.
“Stay engaged with your union — the power of our collective solidarity and strength puts us in a better position when we return to the table in three years,” the statement added.
The newly-ratified contract will go into effect immediately for more than 3,500 essential pharmacy workers in Rite Aid locations across Southern California.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
