CHANGING BARGAINING PATTERNS
Scope and Content Note: Until the last contract, negotiated two years ago, chains bargained together and arrived at a master agreement that would cover them all. At the last negotiations, however, Woodman's and John Godfrey's Sentry stores pulled out of the management group. Their contracts now are basically the same but do have some different language so that business representatives can no longer answer employee questions without looking up the specific contract. The reason Sentry and Woodman's pulled out was because a few years ago at negotiations, a representative from National Tea was the industry spokesman, and he gave in on a number of items the others did not want to give in on; and, after the conclusion of negotiations, National closed all its Wisconsin stores.