UFCW, Giant Eagle announce new contract with wage increases

A new four-year contract that Giant Eagle employees ratified last week includes wage increases, continues no-cost health care benefits and provides new protections for LGBTQ+ workers, according to a joint statement released Monday by the company and union.

The agreement covers about 5,300 employees who are members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 Keystone State in 35 corporate-owned stores in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Giant Eagle is based in O’Hara.

“This agreement demonstrates our appreciation of the exemplary work of our team members, particularly over the last 18 months, and it ensures that we continue to provide our communities with the highest quality of products and service,” Giant Eagle Executive Vice President Bill Artman said in a statement.

Members at Giant Eagle Inc. voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new four-year agreement! Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/cvPcomIbza

— UFCW Local 1776 (@UFCWLocal1776) July 26, 2021

The hourly starting rate for workers will increase from $11 to $12 in 2021, then rise to $13.50 by 2024. Other workers will see a wage increase of $2 per hour over the course of the contract.

The contract is retroactive to June 26, when the previous contract expired.

Giant Eagle pays people different rates depending on the job they do and the person’s level of experience. For those with three years of experience, the pay will be $15 per hour.

“The pay rates go all the way up to $23.50,” UFCW Local 1776 President Wendell Young IV said.

The new contract merges separate agreements between the company and its grocery and meat-cutting workers, he said.

This helps both the company and the employees, as workers can be more flexible and perform duties they couldn’t before because they were governed under separate union agreements, Young said.

“It’s good for the employees, it’s good for the employer and it’s good for the customers,” he said.

The contract maintains medical coverage and other benefits without employee contributions and adds non-discrimination protections for gender, gender expression and gender identity, he said.

The discrimination protections go beyond those provided under Pennsylvania law in the new contract, he said.

The medical coverage can cover the employee and their family, depending on the position and seniority, Young said.

The company also agreed to more funding for its pension and 401(k) plans, he said.

“I am very proud of the work our members did on this bargaining committee,” Young said. “This was a really good economic package.”