First Contract for Heiner's Retail Workers (8/1/07)

A group of employees who work at 4 different Heiner's Bakery retail stores in West Virginia have ratified their first union contract. The RWDSU Local 21 members voted for the agreement on July 7. The two-year pact institutes a number of benefits that the employees will enjoy for the first time thanks to their decision to join the RWDSU in December, 2006.

Workers, who sell baked goods such as bread and pies at the stores, will receive wage gains and for the first time, guaranteed medical coverage, seniority rights, paid vacation, and a grievance procedure.
"This is a great contract that gives workers a voice at work for the first time and lays a strong foundation for the future," said RWDSU Representative Allen Mayne, who helped negotiate the agreement.
According to Mayne, the Heiner's members are already exercising their new union rights. A grievance detailing the company's refusal to abide by the new seniority rights has already been filed.
"These members understand that with a union and a contract, they don't just have to sit around and go by what the company says. They have it in writing, and the company has to abide by the contract they signed," Mayne said.