Workers At Twin Cities Grocery Stores Including Cub Reject Contract, Threaten Strike

Workers At Twin Cities Grocery Stores Including Cub Reject Contract, Threaten Strike

The union has filed unfair labor practice charges and says a strike could start as soon as Memorial Day.

Workers at Twin Cities grocery stores have rejected a contract proposal from Cub Foods/United Natural Foods, Haugs, and Knowlan's Festival/ Festival Foods.

The UFCW Local 663, which revealed the rejection on Tuesday, has also filed unfair labor practice charges against the companies. "We are headed toward a potential strike," UFCW president Rena Wong said during a media availability on Tuesday.

Union members will decide in the coming weeks whether to take that action, Wong said, adding that a strike could take place as soon as Memorial Day if a contract cannot be agreed upon.

That action could include up to 2,800 workers across 38 Twin Cities area grocery stores that range from Monticello and Coon Rapids in the northern suburbs, through Minneapolis, and as far south as Lakeville.

"The companies' offers would have shifted a larger share of health care costs to workers, failed to provide the kind of raises workers need to live, sought concessions from the union, and, generally, failed to listen to the needs of their employees," the union said in a statement.

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In addition to rejecting the contract proposal, the UFCW has filed unfair labor practice charges against Cub Foods' parent company, UNFI, for not bargaining in good faith. It also alleges "additional violations of the NLRA" from Haug's and Knowlan's Festival.

UNFI counters, in a statement given to Bring Me The News, that it has been "negotiating diligently and in good faith."

"As part of the negotiations, we’ve offered strong wage increases, continued market leading union health care and significant increases in our contributions to the union’s pension plan to help address underfunding and protect the benefits of all participants," the company's statement continues.

It adds that the company "is prepared to implement contingency plans to ensure the continued availability of the products and services our customers and communities have come to count on from Cub."

The company, however, did not respond to a request for clarity on what its contingency plans entail.

The UFCW has been negotiating with seven grocery companies across the Twin Cities area for months. Workers with Lunds & Byerly's, Jerry's Enterprises, Kowalski's, and Radermacher's Shakopee Cub ratified new contracts over the weekend.

Those contracts "responded to the specific needs" of their staff, the union says, touting the inclusion of elevated wages for courtesy workers at Lunds & Byerly's, higher starting wages at Jerry's, and new HRA contributions.

The union hasn't been able to reach a deal with the remaining three companies.

“We’re fighting to keep our healthcare plan right where we have it,” says Nate Moist, a meat manager at Cub Foods in Monticello who has worked in grocery stores for 21 years.

“I have a wife and three kids, so my healthcare plans would triple every week if we accepted the company’s offer," he claimed. "More money out of pocket means less for my family. UNFI is not countering that increased cost with higher wages. We are not keeping up with inflation if we are breaking even every paycheck.”

SOURCE: Bring Me The News