FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 25, 2023
Contact: Jessica Hayssen, 651-261-8559
Minneapolis, MN –Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663, together representing more than 600 grocery workers at the six Kowalski’s Markets across the west metro area announced their intentions to hold a 3 day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike from August 4-6.
This announcement follows an overwhelming membership vote held on Monday, July 24 that authorized union members of the bargaining committee to call for an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike.
UFCW Local 663’s member bargaining committee released the following statement:
“On Monday, our coworkers stood together against company intimidation and demonstrated our power as a union and voted to authorize a strike. Kowalski’s has engaged in unfair labor practices meant to stop us from exercising our rights despite our tireless efforts to serve customers every day.
We are calling for an Unfair Labor Practices strike to be held from Friday, August 4 through Sunday, August 6, 2023 at the Hennepin, Lyndale, Parkview, Eagan, Eden Prairie and Excelsior locations.
As a bargaining committee, we know that the decision to call a strike is always a last resort, however, we refuse to continue to be bullied by our employer. Kowalski’s should surely understand that this type of behavior has a negative impact on workers, customers and the communities we are proud to serve.
We are open to meeting Kowalski’s at the table before August 4 to bargain in good faith for a contract that reflects our hard work.”
Watch the video on YouTube here.
BACKGROUND:
UFCW Local 663 has filed ULP charges against Kowalski’s Markets for intimidation of its employees who were exercising their rights to participate in protected concerted activity, interfering with concerted union activity, illegal surveillance of union activity, and bargaining in bad faith.
United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663 union members at Kowalski’s have been working without a collective bargaining agreement since March 5.
In the latest round of contract negotiations, members are fighting for better wages and to maintain worker-driven healthcare in order to build a better life at work and better serve the communities that rely on them. Members hope to come to a tentative agreement with the company soon.
###
UFCW Local 663 represents more than 17,000 hard-working essential retail, meat packing and processing, food preparation and manufacturing, healthcare, and other workers in Minnesota. 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. UFCW Local 663 is part of the 1.3 million-member United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.