About the JLMC

The JLMC was created to assist with collective bargaining and related issues that arose after the passage of wage and price control legislation. The legislation, which generally prohibited raising wages or prices, was designed to help control inflation that was driving up food prices and the costs of other consumer products.

Since 1974 the mission has expanded, and the JLMC has had many significant involvements and accomplishments on behalf of its member unions and companies.

• The JLMC has maintained a continuous dialogue between the major retail grocery store companies and unions in the industry for 50 years.
• The member organizations have been key proponents of pension legislation to stabilize multiemployer pension funding. This legislation includes the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which authorized billions of dollars in Special Financial Assistance to help severely underfunded multiemployer plans to be able to continue providing millions of American workers, retirees, and their families with the pension benefits they earned through years of hard work.
• The members of JLMC, in conjunction with Food Marketing Institute (FMI), are key proponents of Congressional investigation into and oversight of the high costs of prescription drugs.
• The JLMC conducts Multiemployer Benefit Fund Trustee education and training.
• The JLMC helps explore national buying projects, such as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and stop-loss insurance.
• The JLMC maintains close connections with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) and FMI. Both organizations regularly present at meetings on topics of mutual interest.
• The JLMC has advocated for health and safety issues, including repetitive stress injuries and the use of personal protective equipment.
• The JLMC regularly hosts discussions about developments in the industry, including the use of new technologies and ways that advances in medicine may impact affiliates’ health and welfare plans.
• The JLMC facilitates conversations between subject-matter experts and its members on topics including the impacts of COVID, new legislation, stop-loss insurance, Workers’ Compensation, unfunded liability of multiemployer pension plans, health benefits, grievance and mediation experiments, alcohol and substance use, mental health, and ergonomics.