Posted on

New Mariano’s Contract Ratified!

Today your Local 881 Mariano’s Bargaining Committee counted ALL ballots received from the membership.

We are pleased to report that the new three-year contract has been approved and ACCEPTED by a majority of the Mariano’s members. Contract improvements include:

    • Significant wage increases throughout the life of the contract.
    • 4th week of vacation will be received after 12th year for applicable full-time members (effective 1/1/2028).
    • Designated Lead Cake Decorator will receive $1.00/hr premium pay.
    • Single day vacations NO LONGER need to be used by Nov 1st.
    • Protective language added to address technological changes and Leaves of Absence.

    • Cook County & Suburban contracts will be consolidated to one wage page.

We want to recognize the hard work of the negotiating committee members. The committee members are your coworkers! They work alongside you at the store. They have dedicated their time to help represent all the Mariano’s members during this process. We believe having rank-and-file workers at the table, sitting across from the company sends a powerful message of our Union’s strength and unity! We are grateful for their continued service and dedication to the Union and to their fellow Mariano’s coworkers.

The new contract is effective immediately. Printed copies will be available at your stores in the near future. 

If you are not sure where you fall in the new wage scales or if you have any questions about the contract, please contact your Union Representative at 847-294-5064 for clarification. Reps are available to personally walk you through the information.

Thank you to all the members who took the time to review the proposals and vote. Your participation and activism only makes the Union stronger.

Negotiating Committee Member, Sue, counts ballots for the Mariano's vote.
Posted on

Mariano’s Ratification Materials have been Mailed!

The Tentative Contract Agreement Offer for Mariano’s was mailed today. Depending on your postal carrier, documents should arrive in members’ mailboxes over the next several days.

Every eligible Mariano’s member will be mailed the document and have the opportunity to consider and vote on the Tentative Contract Agreement Offer. The members alone will decide the outcome.

Don’t base your vote on something you heard!  Wait to see the Tentative Agreement and read it for yourself. Ask your Union Representative for clarification on any questions about your specific wages and benefits.

Your bargaining committee, which includes some of your coworkers, RECOMMENDS this offer because it IMPROVES the current contract.

Ballots will be counted on August 27th at 1pm at the Des Plaines Office. Talk to your Union Rep about helping with the count or being present to observe the process.

Please return your ballots QUICKLY! The post office takes time to deliver, so do not delay on sending in your ballot!

If you have questions,  talk to your Union Representative, call 847-294-5064. We are at your service!

Posted on

Printed Jewel-Osco (2025–2028) Contracts are Now Available!

Printed Jewel-Osco (2025–2028) Contracts are Now Available!

Local 881 is pleased to announce that the new Jewel-Osco (2025–2028) Contracts have arrived from the printer! Union Representatives have begun distributing to all Jewel-Osco locations.

Your Union contract specifies in writing your pay raises, vacations, holiday pay, seniority rights, transfers, and more. To read about what was included in the new contract, click here.

While you are reviewing the new contract, make sure you are at the correct wage rate! Go to the Jewel-Osco MyACI portal to view your current pay stub. Contact your Union Representative if you have any concerns!

We are at your service!

Posted on

Historic New JEWEL-OSCO Contract Ratified!

Today members from Jewel Local 881 Bargaining Committee counted ALL ballots received. We are pleased to report that the new three-year contract has been approved and accepted by a majority of the members of Jewel Foods Stores.

Contract improvements include:

    • Guaranteed annual wage increases for ALL members throughout the brackets over the life of the contract.
    • Considerable wage increases for Top of Scale and Overscale members.
    • Premium Pay Increases for Dairy/Frozen Managers, Head Produce and Head Perishable Clerks, Night Crew Chiefs, Personnel Coordinators, and Scan Coordinators.
    • Controlled costs for health care weekly premiums.
    • Wellness Rates Protected.
    • One contract to cover both Jewel and Osco! Historic achievement that improves our future bargaining power!

In addition to wage increases and benefit protections included in this new contract, one of the most significant victories our Local Union achieved during these negotiations was the inclusion of Osco members under the Jewel contract!

We believe this contract is truly historic! Osco members have asked us for years, “Why can’t we be treated the same as Jewel?” And Local 881 has been advocating for Osco members to be included in the Jewel contract for decades! Osco members were given an incredible opportunity to gain the full protections, provisions, and ben­efits of the new Jewel-Osco contract.

In a separate ballot count, Osco members OVERWHELMINGLY voted to join the new Jewel-Osco contract. Like their Jewel coworkers, Osco members will also receive guaranteed increas­es and will especially benefit from the numer­ous improvements within the Jewel contract.

We want to recognize the hard work of the negotiating committee members. Their time and input have been invaluable. It’s not easy to sit across the table from the company bosses. We believe having rank-and-file workers at the table sends a powerful message of our Union’s strength and unity! Without these brave and dedicated committee members we would not be where we are today! We are grateful for their continued service and dedication to the Union and to their fellow Jewel-Osco coworkers.

Thank you to all the members who took the time to review the proposals and vote. This is what our Union is all about! We believe your activism and involvement only makes the Union stronger.

The new contract is effective immediately and printed copies will be available at your stores soon.

If you have questions, please contact your Union Representative at 847-294-5064.

Posted on

Jewel-Osco Ratification in the Mail

The Tentative Contract Agreement Offer for Jewel-Osco was mailed on 10/9/2025. Documents should arrive in mailboxes over the next several days.

Your bargaining committee, which includes some of your coworkers, STRONGLY RECOMMENDS this offer because it IMPROVES the current contract.

As a reminder, votes will be counted on October 28th.

Please return your ballots QUICKLY! The post office takes time to deliver, so do not delay mailing your vote!

If you have questions, please contact your Union Representative at 847-294-5064.

Posted on

Final Documents Still Being Prepared

The Tentative Agreement that was reached on your behalf a few weeks ago is being prepared for your review and vote. We are eager to get all the contract improvements and specific wage increases into your hands; however, both the Company & the Union have to approve each and every word of the final voting materials. As mentioned before, this process takes time. We strongly believe this contract will be WORTH THE WAIT.

In the meantime, we can confirm the following improvements in the Tentative Agreement:

    •  Guaranteed annual wage increases for ALL members throughout the brackets over the life of the contract.
    • Considerable wage increases for Top of Scale and Overscale members.
    • Premium Pay Increases for Dairy/Frozen Managers, Head Produce and Head Perishable Clerks, Night Crew Chiefs, Personnel Coordinators, and Scan Coordinators.
    • Controlled costs for health care weekly premiums.
    • Wellness Rates Protected!
    • Osco members will vote to be brought under the protections and provisions of the Jewel contract. This is a historic achievement that improves everyone’s future bargaining power!

We appreciate your patience and ask for you to hang in there just a little longer as all the documents are finalized. As soon as they are in the mail we will issue another notice. If you have any questions or concerns we invite you to contact your Union Rep at 847-294-5064 to discuss. We continue to be at your service.

Posted on

Jewel Tentative Agreement Has Been Reached

Local 881 negotiation committee rank-n-file members reviewing terms of the Tentative Agreement.

Local 881 is pleased to announce that a Tentative Contract Agreement Offer has been reached with Jewel Food Stores. The bargaining committee, which includes many rank-and file Jewel workers, STRONGLY RECOMMEND this offer because it both IMPROVES the current contract… but ALSO PROTECTS all hard-won contractual benefits! Nothing was taken away!

In addition, after decades of trying, the Company finally has agreed to have ONE contract to cover both the Jewel and Osco sides of the stores. When the Jewel members vote in the coming weeks, current Osco members will be given a separate opportunity to vote on being merged into the Jewel contract.

Ratification Materials are Being Prepared

Ratification is where you the Local 881 members decide to ACCEPT or REJECT this agreement. Very soon you will be mailed a copy of ALL the proposed changes to the current contract. ONLY the membership gets to vote and determine the future contract.

We have just begun putting together all the printed voting materials. AS YOU KNOW, contractual votes for over 20,000 people are complicated. These are very important documents which need to be carefully reviewed before sending! This takes time! We anticipate this taking up to 4-6 weeks. We do not rush this process, because it is imperative that mistakes be avoided! We appreciate your patience, and we will notify everyone when the ballots have been mailed. If you have moved recently, please contact your Union Representative immediately to ensure we have your correct address on file.

We are grateful for the hard work of the Negotiating Committee members. They know firsthand what it’s like to work at Jewel, and because of their knowledge and experience they were instrumental to getting to this strong agreement.

We know there will be questions! We continue to be at your service and invite you to contact your Union Representative at 847-294-5064 to discuss any concerns you have.

Posted on

Negotiations Are Underway!

Your Local 881 Negotiating Committee has met with the Company on several occasions, beginning in late April. We have several negotiation dates scheduled throughout the rest of May and June.

The Union and the Company have exchanged proposals. It’s a back and forth process, but ultimately ONLY the membership will get to decide and vote on the contents of the final contract.

As you know, each time we renegotiate, EVERYTHING is on the bargaining table. Your Local Union is committed to reaching an agreement that raises pay, treats long-term members with respect, protects quality health care benefits, and keeps all our members safe. We are eager to bring you a fair contract to vote on, but we WILL NOT rush this process, just to get it done.

We are grateful for your patience and trust through this process. If you have any questions we invite you to contact your Union Rep at 847-294-5064 to discuss any of your workplace concerns, we continue to be at your service.

Posted on

Van Til’s Contract has been ratified!

Congratulations to all Van Til’s Members on ratifying your new contract!

On March 24, 2025, Union members came out to vote on the proposed tentative agreement offer. We are pleased to report that the new contract has been approved and accepted by the Van Til’s members. The new contract will last for three years and is effective immediately.

Key Improvements in the Van Til’s Supermarket Contract:

      • Considerable Annual Wage Increases for ALL Members over the life of the contract, including retro pay.
      • No Economic Concessions! No economic benefits and protections were taken away from the contract for current members.
      • Expanded Funeral Leave
      • No Changes to Health & Welfare Premiums

A Special Thank You

We are grateful to all the Van Til’s members who took the time to fill out the recent contract survey. Before any contract is negotiated, Local 881 sends surveys to members to gather feedback. Your Union is committed to listening and learning about what issues are foremost on the minds of members. We believe the discussion at the negotiation table should reflect the priorities of the workers! Thank you for participating in this critical step!

We want you to continue to participate! To share your thoughts or concerns, come to a meeting, get involved, or speak with your Union Rep. We are available and open to constructive criticism. With your passion, activism, and involvement, we will only be stronger.

We have been proud to represent Van Til’s workers for decades and we have never wavered from our commitment to protecting and fighting on your behalf. You might not love or agree with everything we do, but the reality is we will always have your back.

It is our privilege to be at your service. Should you have any questions, please contact your Union Representative at 847-294-5064 to discuss any concerns you have.

Posted on

Workers at Strack and Van Til Ratify New Three-Year Contract!

We are proud to share that the new SVT/IGG contract has been ratified! 

On January 24, 2025, ALL ballots received for the SVT/IGG contract were counted. We are pleased to report that the new contract has been approved and accepted by an overwhelming majority of SVT members. The new contract will last for three years and is effective immediately.

New improvements to the contract were informed by the concerns of Local 881 members and were voted on by active Local 881 members.

Key Improvements in the New SVT/IGG Contract:

    • Considerable Annual Wage Increases for ALL Members over the life of the contract, including retro pay.
    • Additional Week of Vacation for eligible members with twenty years or more of service.
    • No Economic Concessions! No economic benefits and protections were taken away from the contract for current members.
    • Expanded Funeral Leave
    • No Changes to Health & Welfare Premiums
    • Improved Language for Perfect Attendance Days

A Special Thank You

We are grateful to all the SVT members who took the time to fill out the recent contract survey. Before any contract is negotiated, Local 881 sends surveys to members to gather feedback. Your Union is committed to listening and learning about what issues are foremost on the minds of members. We believe the discussion at the negotiation table should reflect the priorities of the workers! Thank you for participating in this critical step!

We want you to continue to participate! To share your thoughts or concerns, come to a meeting, get involved, or speak with your Union Rep. We are available and open to constructive criticism. With your passion, activism, and involvement, we will only be stronger.

We have been proud to represent SVT workers for decades and we have never wavered from our commitment to protecting and fighting on your behalf. You might not love or agree with everything we do, but the reality is we will always have your back.

It is our privilege to be at your service. Should you have any questions, please contact your Union Representative at 847-294-5064 to discuss any concerns you have.