A card-check completed on Friday, Feb. 28 brought UE its latest organizing win, securing bargaining rights for approximately 160 full and part-time workers at Burlington’s cooperatively owned downtown supermarket.
Rev. Michael Cronogue of St. Michael’s College conducted the card count and reported that 105 of 157 eligible employees signed UE membership cards.
A majority of co-op workers had also voted for the union in a community election earlier in the month as a means of convincing the co-op’s board of directors to agree to the card-check procedure.
The board agreed Feb. 17 to recognize the union if signatures on union cards be verified by a neutral party, if those who had signed had the opportunity to remove their names, and if the board and union agreed on who is eligible to join.
Living wages, job security and consistent work rules will be among the issues in first-contract bargaining.
Intl. Rep. Kim Lawson and Field Org. Heather Riemer assisted City Market workers during a campaign which won recognition in about a month’s time.