On Friday, Oct. 31, grocery workers union Local 655 voted to
return to work, ending its 25-day strike. Workers at Schnucks,
Dierbergs and Shop ‘n Save returned to work on Saturday morning.
Over the past week, services impaired by the strike have
reopened.

The temporary 47-month contract hashed out by the Council of
Grocers and the union, with the help of Commissioner Roger Hendrix
of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service gives the workers
better benefits, while reapportioning expenses to keep the costs
down for consumers.

Changes laid out in the settlement give individual stores more
flexibility in how they are run, lessened work restrictions and
increased health and welfare benefits.

Over the next three and a half years, periodic negotiations will
be held to come up with a more permanent, long-term contract.

The strike was costly for both sides. Customers supporting the
strike, or those afraid to cross the picket lines, took their
business elsewhere.

Wal-Mart picked up most of the slack during the strike. With
non-union labor, Wal-Mart is not required to pay its workers as
well, and Wal-Mart says that the savings are passed on to the
consumers.

Workers on strike face a difficult situation when they return to
their jobs. Employees will have to deal with workers who didn’t
strike as well as managers, who are often referred to as the “bad
guys” in a strike.

Workers returning to their positions will also have to endure
reduced hours, as the companies struggle to regain lost customers,
but the stores hope customers will return in time for the holiday
season.