Those shopping for an Easter Sunday feast at 33 Cub locations Friday and Saturday will encounter striking workers in pursuit of higher wages as compensation for their front-line efforts during the pandemic.
"We want to be paid for what we've been through the last five years," said Jill Craig during a news conference Wednesday outside the Maple Grove grocery store on N. Wedgewood Lane where she works.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 announced Tuesday night that nearly 95% voted in favor of a first-time strike by 3,000 unionized employees at 33 Cub stores owned by United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI).
The most recent contract between Cub and the union expired March 4. After putting an offer forward March 21, the company's negotiators were surprised that the union wouldn't bargain before April 11, the next scheduled meeting. Laura Daly, Cub's general counsel, said she believes the union intends to disrupt grocery shopping before the holiday.
"We remained ready, willing and able to return to the negotiating table at any time, day or night, any day since March 21, and the union has not been willing to re-engage," Daly said. "So at this point, I never want to say never, but we believe the union intends to move forward with the strike plan."
Cub is prepared to implement contingency plans to ensure the continued availability of products and services during a strike.
Employees said Wednesday they want fair compensation for their work during the pandemic. That included mandatory masking, separation from medically vulnerable relatives and fear during the unrest following the police killing of George Floyd.
Union officials said they want a $4 an hour pay increase spread across two years on average, vs. the $2.75 Cub offered. The union also wants to avoid what it called a regressive raise structure, where part-time employees working 15 hours a week would receive raises only after 140 weeks of service.
