MOKENA, IL | The Teamsters Local 710 Bargaining Committee for the Jewel-Osco Warehouse and Transportation bargaining units met last Thursday and Friday to continue negotiations.

The Union and the Employer have tentatively agreed to maintain established language throughout both contracts where neither party had a proposal and are now focusing on the main issues. At this point, both sides are very far apart.

“At this early stage, both parties have shared our ‘wish lists’ so to speak, and it is clear that our committee has a lot of work to do,” said Bargaining Chairman Mike Cales. “It’s frustrating because our core issues should not come as a surprise to the employer – they’ve been brought up for years. Our committee is working under the complete direction of the rank and file, and we need to be taken seriously. We are not interested in taking both sides’ proposals and trying to get back to zero. It’s imperative that we start moving in the right direction fast.”

The Union committee is focused on several key issues as brought forth in hundreds of proposals from the members, including the split between the “heavy” and “light” 80 percent and 20 percent groups, holidays and personal time off, grievance machinery, subcontracting, and discipline – to name just a handful. The Union is working on comprehensive proposals for health and retirement benefits, as well as wages, but those proposals won’t be passed by either side until more of the non-economic issues are worked through.

“This workforce has had it,” said Business Agent Dick Bartolo. “Our members are over-disciplined and not treated with the respect they deserve – the company is out for blood. We have real issues that have been ongoing for too long, and the company needs to address them here and now at the bargaining table.”

The parties are scheduled to resume bargaining next on February 3rd & 4th, and have several more dates scheduled throughout February. Stay tuned to Teamsters710.com for the latest updates as negotiations progress.

Teamsters Local 710 represents more than 13,500 workers across the Midwest and is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25.

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