Ohio Locals Negotiate Major Agreement with Nickles Bakery

A statewide agreement between 10 Ohio Teamster local unions and Nickles Bakery was overwhelmingly ratified by the Teamster membership by a vote of 237-17. A statewide agreement between 10 Ohio Teamster local unions and Nickles Bakery was overwhelmingly ratified by the Teamster membership by a vote of 237-17. The four-year agreement covers 325 route sales drivers, transport drivers and hourly employees and includes:

• Increases of $30 over the term of the four-year agreement for route sales drivers (which includes increases of $5, $5, $10 and $10 in each respective year of the contract to the drivers’ weekly base pay rate);  $0.35 per hour across-the-board increases for hourly employees; and $0.45 per hour across-the-board increases for the transport drivers;
• Breakdown pay for the first time ever for all route sales drivers and transport drivers;
• Increases in transport drivers’ weekly guarantee to 45 hours per week, with time-and-a-half after 40 hours, along with eight hours straight time pay for any dock pick up, which will rotate through the seniority list as it happens;
• Improvements in health care to nearly 100 percent coverage for all workers; and
• Maintenance of pensions.

The locals involved in the negotiations were Teamster locals 20, 40, 52, 92, 114, 284, 377, 637, 908 and 957. The negotiations were chaired by the Teamsters National Bakery and Laundry Conference Chairman Dave Dudas. “In these hard economic times, the 10 Teamster locals in Ohio did an outstanding job in negotiating the Nickles Bakery agreement. Chairman Dudas kept me posted through the whole process of negotiations with Nickles and did an outstanding job for all the Nickles members in Ohio,” said Dennis Raymond, Director of the Teamsters Bakery and Laundry Conference. “The committee stuck together and we stood our ground,” Dudas said. “We’re very happy with this contract.” “This was the best contract we ever negotiated. We received many gains, like holiday pay increases, life insurance benefits and more,” said Randy Jacobs, a 14-year route sales driver in Lorain and shop steward with Brook Park-based Local 52. “Overall, it’s a great deal for all.”