Hundreds of Brainerd lakes area grocery store workers stage Christmas strike
BRAINERD, Minn. — Hundreds of grocery store employees in the Brainerd lakes area are now on strike ahead of Christmas weekend.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 announced strike dates last week, and say their rights have been violated repeatedly. They claim employees have been subject to "interrogation, surveillance, and intimidation."
UFCW say they are fighting for better pay and benefits, and have been without a contract since Dec. 3. They say the decision to strike wasn't an easy one, and it is their last resort.
"It's really hard for us workers to want to be out here during this time. It was last resort for us to be out here. But we felt strongly enough that this would be a good time to do it," said grocery worker Tony Ramberg.
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The Super One Foods store in Baxter is owned by the Miner family, who had no comment on Friday morning. Workers say management is planning to negotiate after Christmas, which means union employees plan to strike through the holiday.
"I'm very proud of our team that came out, they deserve to have what we're fighting for and we are just here to show them that we're a strong union, and we want to fight for what's good for us," said grocery worker Sandy Livingston.
Livingston is a cashier at Super One. It's been a retirement job for her, but as she pickets, she says she's not thinking about herself.
"I am a retired nurse I did not do this for me. I did it for the up-and-coming generations. Because this is a good job. And everybody deserves to have a good job in their life," said Livingston.
The four-day strike began Friday and will last through Christmas Day. Five stores are impacted:
- Miner's Super One Foods in Baxter
- Miner's Super One Foods in Crosby
- Quisberg's Cub Foods in Baxter
- Quisberg Cub Foods in Brainerd
- Quisberg's Pequot Lakes SuperValu.
Boyd Hanson, Miner's director of human resources, told WCCO earlier this month the company has been bargaining in good faith, and the UFCW's claim of "unfair labor practices" is inaccurate. He says Miner's will continue to negotiate until an agreement is reached.
WCCO is still awaiting a response from S & R Quisberg Inc.
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