Tentative agreement reached to avert strike of Lunds & Byerlys workers in west metro
MINNEAPOLIS -- A tentative agreement has been made between Lunds & Byerlys and over 2,500 grocery store workers to avoid a strike planned for west metro locations later this week.
On Tuesday morning, United Food and Commercial Workers' Local 663 announced the agreement will provide "significant" raises for both full- and part-time workers. The group also says it secures worker-driven health care.
The raises will be implemented in the fall of 2024.
"Our members kept Minnesotans fed during the pandemic, even in the most uncertain of times," UFCW Local 663 President Rena Wong said. "They took the strength and courage they used during those times and stood united to win contracts for their coworkers that reward the sacrifices they made, and sets them up to build even better lives in the future. The bargaining committee believes that this tentative agreement respects, protects, and pays our members fairly. We look forward to sharing the agreement with the thousands of UFCW Local 663 members, and continuing to welcome new members who are working to organize their own workplaces."
A ratification vote is set for Saturday.
Lunds & Byerlys released the following statement on the tentative agreement:
"Lunds & Byerlys deeply values every team member and that is reflected in the tentative agreement we have reached with UFCW Local 663 on a new two-year retail contract. The agreement, which was unanimously supported by the union's bargaining committee, will now go to a ratification vote by all members on Saturday, July 1.
"The tentative agreement ensures we will continue to provide industry-leading wages while also working with the union to make much-needed improvements to the current multiemployer healthcare plan. As we had requested, this agreement calls for those improvements to be made within the next 12 months. If the improvements are not made, then our team members would have the opportunity to vote to stay on the multiemployer healthcare plan or move to our plan.
"Our resolve from the onset of these negotiations has been to champion industry-leading wages and a better healthcare plan for our team members, and we're pleased the tentative agreement provides these benefits to our team members."
Earlier this week, the union voted to authorize a strike for Thursday through Saturday. The strike would have affected more than 20 locations in the metro area, as far north as Maple Grove, all the way south to Prior Lake, and west out to Wayzata.
