Vol. 77/No. 42      November 25, 2013

About a dozen workers, members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400, leafleted outside a Giant store in Greenbelt, Md., Nov. 6 to get out the word about the contract dispute.

The contract had been scheduled to expire in March 2012. But the two sides agreed to a 19-month extension.

“They want to take out spousal support and make people pay more for their benefits,” Kathy Mason, a shop steward at a Giant store in Hyattsville, Md., told the Militant. “And they are giving part-timers under 20 hours so that they won’t have to provide benefits. It’s getting very hard to get a full-time position.”

Union members say that the grocery chains are responding to provisions in the Affordable Care Act by increasing part-time work to avoid paying for employees’ health insurance.

“What kind of a society are we offering our kids if they can’t get work that will allow them to go out on their own,” said Mary Ervin, who works as a meat wrapper at Giant. “I mean, 16 hours a week will pay for a cellphone bill, but it won’t help them get on their feet.”
 
 
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