Meijer Pays Union Its Dues and Likes It
By George Anderson
The Associated Press reported yesterday that Meijer and the United Food
and Commercial Workers Union have reached a tentative agreement on a labor contract
for 36,000 Michigan employees of the retailer.
The agreement, if ratified, will provide Meijer associates with pay raises
of 13.5 percent over the next four and a half years. The union says the deal
will make Meijer employees the highest paid in the retail business throughout
the Midwest.
Meijer spokesperson, John Zimmerman said, “We worked very hard to make sure
our team members got the best contract out there.”
Moderator’s Comment: How can Meijer be successful paying
the highest wages to unionized employees when its competitors are seeking concessions
from the very same union?
Has Meijer learned that the cost of treating and paying
employees well is not as high to its business as treating and paying them poorly?
[George
Anderson – Moderator]