SHOPRITE, UNION SETTLE AFTER SEVEN-WEEK STRIKE

MARTIN SCHNEIDER

WEST BERLIN, N.J. -- Union members at 10 southern New Jersey ShopRites ratified a new four-year contract last week, ending a seven-week strike.

The workers, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1360 here, were expected to return to work late last week, Karen Meleta, spokeswoman for the retailers, told SN.

The new contract provides for wage increases of $1.60 over the course of the contract and also includes a signing bonus for full- and part-time employees whose earnings are at the top of the wage scale.

The amended contract allows ShopRite to establish its own fund to administer health and welfare benefits, which the union had adamantly opposed.

Despite this change, the fund will continue to be maintained by the Tri-State Health and Welfare Fund, have union and management representation, and mirror the benefits offered in the current plan.

Steven Ravitz, president of Supermarkets of Cherry Hill, which owns four of the stores involved in the labor dispute, said, "The new fund will allow us to have representation in a process, which for years we have been denied."

George Zallie Sr., chief executive officer of Zallie Supermarkets, which owns six of the stores involved in the work stoppage, said, "We are relieved that this strike is finally over. This strike has taken a toll on our business, it has inconvenienced our loyal customers, and it has impacted the livelihoods of our associates."

Clay Bowman, president of Local 1360, told SN, "We feel that the new contract works out well for our members. The pressure on our part was to retain our health and welfare benefits, and this new contract does that, so we feel we've been successful there."

Bowman also said that he feels the four-year contract, longer than most recent contracts, may prove a blessing considering the current state of the economy.

During the strike, more than 150 workers crossed the picket lines, according to Meleta, and were issued internal charges by the union. In turn, ShopRite filed charges against the union with the National Labor Relations Board.

Bowman told SN that an amnesty agreement was made as part of the settlement, and all charges have been dropped.

Meleta told SN that once the workers are back in the stores, the units will return to normal operating hours. The stores were operating under limited opening hours, and one store was closed, but was reopened last week after the agreement was reached.

The seven-week strike represents one of the very few work stoppages in the real food industry this year.