One day, 23 months, 10 years, and a lifetime of benefits.

On this day ten years ago, a group of grocery workers lined up at the ballot box and cast their votes. Kroger had opened Main & Vine, a new concept store, just a few weeks prior, and the workers already knew one thing for certain: they wanted to be a union store. One overwhelming "yes" vote later, their new UFCW 367 membership instantly improved their wages and pay scale. The most significant impact, however, was still to come.

Less than two years after that fateful vote, Kroger decided its experiment was over and closed Main & Vine. The company's gamble did not pay off, but the employees' vote had. UFCW 367's collective bargaining agreement protected their right to work, allowing them to transfer to surrounding Kroger stores with no loss of pay or seniority.

Now, a decade later, federal statistics show that their wages have stayed 16% higher than those of their non-union counterparts and exceed the national average union wage premium.

In a country where only 10% of private workers still have access to a defined benefit plan, their retirements are shielded from stock market volatility and economic downturns. Unlike 401(k) retirement plans, their union pensions are a wellspring of financial stability that will never run dry.

While healthcare costs have continued to rise, the health of their families has been protected, with union premiums that are 83% less expensive than the average out-of-pocket premium for Washington families.

It wasn't the luck of the Irish on that Saint Patrick's Day, but the foresight of those hard-working employees. Their thoughtful decision a decade ago has paid off with a lifetime of security.