Workers at Genesis HealthCare Ratify First Contract With UFCW Local 152

Workers at the Genesis HealthCare assisted living facility in Millville voted to ratify their first union contract on Jan. 9, giving them a voice on the job and secured wages and benefits. The workers, members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 152, voted unanimously to accept their three-year agreement.

Local 152 members at the facility provide elder care as Certified Nursing Assistants and Licensed Practical Nurses.

“These employees at Genesis HealthCare wanted their terms of employment guaranteed in writing,” President Daniel Ross, Jr., said. “Together we were able to secure that with a strong first contract that includes much-needed wage increases.”

Highlights of the agreement include provisions to eliminate at-will employment, establish a robust grievance and arbitration process to resolve disputes, and define holidays, vacations, sick pay and bereavement usage. Wage increases were secured for each year of the contract, with additional longevity increases available based of years of service.

“Longevity increases are useful in addressing wage compression, which can contribute to lower workplace morale in the industry,” Ross said. “Our negotiating committee was successful in bargaining additional compensation based of length of service to incentivize retention and reward dedicated staff members.”

Members at Genesis HealthCare voted in May 2024 to designate Local 152 as their collective bargaining representative. The parties were able to bargain a first contract in relatively short order through professionalism maintained on both sides of the table and the determination of rank-and-file committee members.

“These workers should be proud of themselves for organizing and staying united through the bargaining process,” Ross said. “They have now gained an effective voice on the job, and I welcome them to the Local 152 family.”

UFCW Local 152 represents approximately 13,000 workers in retail grocery, food processing and manufacturing, health care, cannabis cultivation and sales, and the public sector.

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