Countywide
Members of two local unions representing 12,000 retail clerks and meat cutters have approved a merger, making it the largest single union in San Diego County. The merger agreement, which will become effective Jan. 1, was worked out between the leadership of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Locals 1222 and 229A. The new union will be called UFCW Local 135.
Local 1222 was formerly the Retail Clerks Union, which represents about 10,500 workers in major supermarkets, drug stores, pharmacies and other local retail businesses. Local 229A was formerly the Amalgamated Meatcutters Union. Thomas Vandeveld, president of Local 1222, will head the new union and Norman Bell will work as secretary-treasurer.
The election was supervised by state conciliator David Hart, and the results were announced Thursday. The clerks approved the merger by an 86% margin, and butchers approved it by a 60% margin, said a spokesman for the retail clerks union.
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