FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Minneapolis–Today, grocery workers who were slated to walk off the job last Friday morning, instead overwhelmingly ratified their next two year contract with UNFI Cub Foods. The vote took place at 12 locations around the Western Metro, and UFCW Local 663 members counted and tallied votes after polls closed at 5pm.
Members of UFCW Local 663 are looking forward to average raises of $2.50 to $3.50 an hour by Spring of 2024, and establishing their landmark safety committee.
“Raises are even bigger for more than 300 retail specialists like me, who will be converted to classified assistants,” said Sami Moll, a bargaining committee member who works at the Chanhassen Cub Foods in the deli. “Some of us will be making $5 to $8 more an hour by this time next year, which is phenomenal.”
“This year’s contract campaign was like nothing I’ve ever seen,” said Dave Mueller, who works in produce at the Uptown store. “I’ve been on the bargaining committee six times, and we’re so much more powerful than we ever were before. This was the most encompassing rank and file experience I’ve ever had the privilege to be a part of.”
“Promises made, promises kept!” said Souad Sami, who works in the deli at the Rockford Road store in Plymouth. “We’ve worked hard in the stores for many years, and at the bargaining table for months. We were able to make sure our pension and our retirement are secure.”
UFCW 663 members continued working since their union contract–which covered 3,000 workers at 33 UNFI-owned Cub Foods stores–expired on March 4th. A month after expiration, 94.5% of voting members authorized their bargaining committee to call for an Unfair Labor Practices strike.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 is a union of more than 17,000 hard-working essential workers in retail, meat packing and processing, food preparation and manufacturing and healthcare in Minnesota led by President Rena Wong. We strive to improve the lives of our members and of all working families by fighting for economic, political, and social justice in our workplaces and communities. Local 663 is part of the 1.3 million-member United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.
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