Health Care Secure at Heinz (11/27/07)

A new five-year contract at the Heinz plant in Holland, Michigan, protects health care and raises wages for the 255 RWDSU Local 705 members who work there. For members at the plant, who produce mustard, Jack Daniel's barbecue sauce, relish and other sauces, and package pickles for Heinz, securing the health care plan was the number one issue going into negotiations.

"The health care plan is absolutely unchanged from last time around, and this was extremely important for us," says Lead Mechanic, 2nd Shift Chuck Atwood. "When the negotiating committee came back with the contract, which protects all of the health benefits without any insurance premium increases, people were actually applauding."
According to Local 705 President Reginald Martin, who maintains equipment at the plant, the membership was very clear about how important the health care coverage was.
"Before we started negotiations, everyone said the top priority would be keeping our health care safe," Martin said. "These days, everybody's health care is under attack, and we battled the company to make sure that we wouldn't become victims of management's cost-cutting. We fought for and won a great contract, and nobody will have to worry about their health care coverage for five years."
In addition, hourly wages will increase each year of the contract.