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Pension deals with ownership may require union representation

On Behalf of | Mar 26, 2020 | Union Representation |

In New York, unions are a critical part of workers maximizing their wages and benefits on the job. However, with the number of hedge funds that purchase businesses, benefits like pension plans can be in flux. In a recent deal that was viewed as a surprise, a billionaire head of a fund agreed to concessions in an agreement with the U.S. government to protect a supermarket workers’ pension plan.

The billionaire agreed to pay $575 million so that a pension plan for an estimated 50,000 supermarket employees would be bolstered. Beginning in 2021, it will receive $23 million per year from the grocer, and this will continue for 25 years for workers in the mid-Atlantic. The deal was viewed as surprising because the billionaire had a reputation for receiving bailouts from the government for poor investments in motor vehicle companies. This agreement came about as the supermarket prepares an initial public offering.

It is designed to settle a dispute with the union, which had claimed that the company’s pension requirements were supposed to be available to retired workers beyond stores in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding areas. With the $575 million, all workers will be covered. This goes well beyond the net income of the stores in the fiscal year of 2018, which totaled a net of $131 million out of sales of $61 billion.

Workers approved the deal with more wages and a rise in contributions to the pension fund. The chain of supermarkets has presented challenges to the management company since it was acquired in 2006. Unions are meant to help workers with their benefits and retirement. If there are issues with management that must be addressed, legal assistance might be needed. A law firm with experience in union representation may be able to help.