MILFORD – In one of the first agreements of its kind in the fast-food industry, food service workers across Connecticut’s 23 service plazas voted overwhelmingly in favor of their first-ever union contract, 32BJ SEIU announced today.
On the evening of Thursday, March 12, 32BJ SEIU reached an agreement with Applegreen USA Travel Plazas Central Services, the main service plaza employer in Connecticut. The contract will span from April 1, 2026 to March 1, 2031.
The contract will include strong wages, improved time-off and scheduling, and other enhanced benefits, the union said. It will cover food service workers from various franchises on Route 15, I-95, and I-39.
“This is a watershed moment for everyone involved – from the workers, to our staff, to Connecticut workers and the labor movement as a whole,” said Rochelle Palache, vice president and state director of 32BJ SEIU. “Over half a decade after starting this campaign, it feels so rewarding to finally see this through and achieve these guaranteed rights and benefits for the people who keep our highways serviced and fed.”
Gov. Ned Lamont applauded the service workers on their historic labor contract.
“In Connecticut, we stand up for workers,” Gov. Ned Lamont said. “Our service plaza workers work hard to provide for their families, contribute to their communities, and are always there for those traveling our highways. They deserve good pay and benefits. And that’s why I am proud to have been there with them every step of the way.”
Under the terms of their contract, service plaza workers will have:
- Predictable schedules and consistent hours
- Just cause and grievance and arbitration process
- Strong vacation accruals
- Improved training opportunities
In November of last year, 32BJ SEIU and the main service plaza reached an agreement six years after the initial kick-off of their campaign. It grants workers a fair path to unionization, which they voted overwhelmingly to do in December. Bargaining committee members from 32BJ, comprised of workers from various franchises across the service plazas, began negotiations with Applegreen in late January of this year.
Beginning in 2019, many service plaza workers brought forward complaints against several employers outlining a pattern of noncompliance, including allegations of wages below the legal standard, unsafe working conditions, and failure to provide adequate benefits. Applegreen agreed to pay workers the standard wage in Connecticut in their November settlement with the State Attorney General’s office and agreement with the union, resulting in higher pay, which has been reflected in their paychecks since.
“It’s been a long time coming for food service workers to get the respect and the treatment we deserve,” said Nika Hyde, a bargaining committee member and employee at Auntie Anne’s at the Madison Southbound service plaza. “It is an honor to help my fellow Connecticut food service employees, who work so hard, have a dignified standard of living without constant struggle.”
