United Food and Commercial Workers union ends eight-month strike against Rite Aid stores in greater Cleveland over health and welfare benefits; workers sign contract slated to expire in 2014

Allison Oesterle

LOS ANGELES , November 15, 2011 (press release) – Cleveland area workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 880 union have an ended an 8-month strike against Rite Aid Corporation over health and welfare benefits as workers sign a contract that is slated to expire in 2014, the Plain Dealer reported on Nov. 11.

According to the article, workers went on strike against eight Ohio Rite Aid stores located in Cleveland, Elyria, Lorain and Painesville. They also held picket lines on a daily basis at most of the eight locations.

The new contract will cover 25 stores in the greater Cleveland area.

The union alleged that Rite Aid was trying to increase the amount of money that workers would contribute to their healthcare plans as well as attempting to wrest control of health and welfare benefits away from the union. According to the union complaint, Rite Aid had also threatened to close stores and fire an employee should he participate in the strike.

Union officials refused to release the terms of the agreement as workers in the Ohio towns of Akron, Canton and Youngstown have yet to vote on a similar contract. They did say, however, that the contract established a union-controlled health plan with limited co-pays and low annual deductibles.

The primary source of this article is the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, on Nov. 11, 2011.

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