Tentative Agreement Reached with D'Agostino Supermarket

Tentative deal would cover nearly 1,000 New Yorkers throughout 13 locations 

This week the D'Agostino negotiating committee reached a new tentative agreement with D'Agostino Supermarket. The new contract will be voted on by D'Agostino workers on April 30, 2015 at two locations throughout the New York metro area.

"We're optimistic this tentative agreement will secure a good future for all our members working at D'Agostino," said lead union negotiator Terry Quiñones. UFCW Local 1500 represents nearly 1,000 men and women working at D'Agostino Supermarkets.

The previous agreement between UFCW Local 1500 and D'Agostino Supermarket expired in March of 2014. Since then, the company and union have agreed to be on monthly contract extensions.

Voting Locations:  April 30th 8 am- 8 pm

D'Agostino Store #5: 142 South Ridge Street, Rye Brook, NY 10573
Holiday Inn: 440 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019

UFCW Local 1500 Member Wins Child Care Grant

Congratulations to UFCW Local 1500 member, Daniela Spatola from Stop & Shop #581 Staten Island!  She was the 2015 winner of the UFCW Women's Network Child Day Care Grant.

Each year, the UFCW Region One South Women’s Network provides a number of grants to UFCW members to help them pay for child care costs.

Daniela, a member of Local 1500 for over eight years, received her grant earlier last month.  Congratulations, Daniela!

Stop & Shop, King Kullen Overwhelmingly Ratify New Contracts

Over 8,500 Union Grocery Workers Secure a New 37 Month Pact, Increasing Wages While Maintaining All Pension and Health Benefits 

Congratulations to over 8,500 grocery workers from Stop & Shop and King Kullen! Yesterday they overwhelmingly ratified a new 37 month agreement. More details on the agreement can be found in the release below:

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1500, announced they have ratified new agreements with both Stop & Shop and King Kullen Supermarkets. The new contracts were voted on and ratified on Thursday, April 16th, and cover over 8,500 grocery workers across New York.

“Both negotiating committees did an excellent job. The agreements provide wage increases for all our members, full-time and part-time,” said union President, Bruce Both. “We fought hard for months to protect our medical and pension plans, which will remain unchanged. We battled to secure benefits for all members, full and part-time," said negotiating committee member Paul Waldron, who works at King Kullen in Shirley.

Stop & Shop members in Staten Island reviewing & voting on the agreement yesterday

The previous contracts expired on December 6, 2014. Since then each company has been on monthly renewing extensions with the union. The union announced the agreement also includes a no discrimination clause. The progressive clause protects all UFCW Local 1500 members from any discriminatory acts regarding race, gender, sex, or sexual preference. The contracts will also increase weekly and Sunday hours for more part-time workers, and added new premiums for certain union members. They also provide vision, legal, dental benefits for both full and part-time union members.

“I’m proud of our negotiating committee, it’s our best agreement in years,” said Andre Phillips, a Shop Steward at Stop & Shop in Brooklyn, “We were able to maintain our current pension and medical benefits, something the company fought hard throughout negotiations to take away from us. That’s an important benefit to me, it lets me plan for my future.”

The contracts also increased contributions by King Kullen and Stop & Shop to the UFCW Local 1500 scholarship fund. The union annually awards over $27,000 of scholarships to UFCW Local 1500 members and their dependents. “With the new agreement we’ll be able to increase the amount of scholarships we award to students. That’s a benefit we’re very proud to provide to our members,” said President Both. Each contract is effective December 7, 2014 through December 30, 2017.  

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United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1500, based out of Westbury, New York, represents over 22,800 grocery workers in New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties. Members of Local 1500 are employed by Pathmark, Fairway, Stop and Shop, Gristedes, D'Agostino, Key Food, Shop Rite and King Kullen. Stay up to date with UFCW Local 1500 on twitter @ufcw1500, facebook.com/ufcw1500, and at ufcw1500.org.

UFCW President Perrone: We are Determined to See Fast Track Defeated

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marc Perrone, International President of the 1.3 million member United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement in response to the agreement reached on trade promotion authority or fast track.

“The TPP and fast track are not just wrong for America, they will hurt every hard-working family. The fact that Democrats and Republicans support TPP is a bipartisan insult to the millions of men and women struggling to find good jobs
and earn a decent living.

Make no mistake, we are determined to see this legislation defeated. Our members will mobilize across the United States to call on Congress to stand up for hard-working families. While we may not be able to change every mind, our voices will be heard. And we will remember those who turned their back on America’s workers by voting for another destructive trade deal.”

A copy of President Perrone’s Wednesday op-ed in The Hill is linked here.

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Join the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) online at www.ufcw.org

We are 1.3 million families standing together to build an economy that every hard-working family deserves.

No on Fast Track

Call Your Elected Officials Today! Help Fight for Good Jobs – Tell Them to Vote ‘No’ on Fast Track.

America’s workers and hard-working families need your help, and the time to act is now!

As you may know, the U.S. House and Senate will soon consider Fast Track legislation to help pass another bad trade deal. As history shows, fast track has been used to quickly pass some of our nation’s worst trade agreements. This time will no different.

If fast track passes, we will face another terrible trade deal, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will all but guarantee that more families will suffer, more jobs will be lost, and more of our communities will be devastated.

Contact your elected officials today. Tell them to vote ‘NO’ on Fast Track

Unfortunately, President Obama, and certain Republican and Democratic Members of Congress, support fast track authority and TPP. They are choosing to ignore the severe price our workers and families will pay if fast track and TPP passes

We all know the reality of past trade deals. Bad trade deals, like TPP, don’t care whether you are Republican or Democrat. They devastate workers from every party and every state.

The simple truth is that opposing TPP is not about partisan politics, it’s about supporting our jobs, our workers, and our families.

So we all have a choice – stay silent or speak out. It’s time for you, your friends, and your family to stand up and speak out to help stop this bad trade deal.

Please don’t wait—call your member of Congress today and tell them to vote ‘NO’ on Fast Track

How bad of a deal is the TPP?

The TPP trade deal has been put together in secret. Hundreds of corporate lawyers and other special interest groups have been advising the U.S. Trade Representative, but the voices of hard-working families have been left out.

No elected official, regardless of political party, who is truly interested in making the economy better and fairer, can responsibly support the TPP.

Now, more than ever, we need you to speak out and help us stop Fast Track and TPP.

Please reach out to your Members of Congress today, because together we can build an America that works for our workers and our families.

Stop & Shop Tentative Agreement Review & Voting Schedule

All UFCW Local 1500 members in good standing working at Stop & Shop are strongly encouraged to review, then vote on the tentative agreement at any of the following locations.  UFCW Local 1500 Union Representatives and your Union Negotiating Committee will be present at all locations to answer any questions you may have on the tentative agreement.

Thursday, April 16, 2015 from 8:00 am - 8:00 pm.

Nassau County:
UFCW Local 1500 HQ
425 Merrick Ave. Westbury, NY 11590

Suffolk County:
Ramada Plaza Long Island Hotel
1730 North Ocean Ave.
Holtsville, NY

Brooklyn:
Stop & Shop Avenue Y
1710 Ave. Y
Brooklyn, NY 11235

Staten Island:
Stop & Shop of Hylan Blvd.
2754 Hylan Blvd.
Staten Island, NY 10306

Tarrytown:
Marriott Tarrytown
670 White Plains Road
Tarrytown, NY

Dutchess:
Ramada Hotel
542 Route 9
Fishkill, NY 12524

Your Union negotiating committee and union urge you to attend one of the locations and review the tentative agreement thoroughly, then accept or reject the proposal.

Tentative Agreement Reached with Stop & Shop

After months of long, tense and difficult negotiations, the Stop & Shop negotiating committee reached a tentative agreement with company officials after 6:00 pm.

Multiple locations for the membership to review the settlement and vote on the tentative agreement will be booked and announced as soon as possible.  Due to current ongoing negotiations between UFCW Local 1500, Fairway and King Kullen, details of the tentative agreement will not be released publicly. The tentative agreement will be available for all UFCW Local 1500 members in good standing to review and vote on, at all of the locations.

Thank you all again for your solidarity and support over the past six months.  This could not have been accomplished without you. Thanks to your support throughout the stores and wearing 'Stop the Chop' solidarity buttons,  the committee reached a tentative agreement tonight.

Congratulations to the committee for their tireless work to bring you the best collective bargaining agreement possible. Your solidarity and patience has been crucially important during these negotiations.


Thank you and in Solidarity,


Tony Speelman
Secretary-Treasurer
UFCW Local 1500