{"id":2281,"date":"2021-06-08T15:55:31","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T20:55:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufcw663.org\/blog\/?p=2281"},"modified":"2021-06-08T16:17:50","modified_gmt":"2021-06-08T21:17:50","slug":"union-advantage-ufcw-663-better-wages-better-benefits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw663.org\/blog\/2021\/06\/08\/union-advantage-ufcw-663-better-wages-better-benefits\/","title":{"rendered":"Twin Cities Grocery Workers Win More Wages and Benefits in the Midst of COVID-19 Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

United Food & Commercial Workers Local 663 Continues to Lead Midwest\u2019s Unionized Grocery Industry to secure better futures for thousands of working families <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thousands of essential grocery workers of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 663 (UFCW Local 663) throughout the western Twin Cities metro recently voted to overwhelmingly accept union contracts that improve wages, benefits and workplace protections that will last beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 6,000 workers throughout the Twin Cities unionized grocery stores won better wages, strengthened benefits and secured workplace protections in the new two year agreements. UFCW Local 663 negotiated union contracts include: Jerry\u2019s Foods and Jerry\u2019s Cub Foods, Kowalski\u2019s Markets, Lunds & Byerlys, Haug\u2019s Cub Foods, Oxendale\u2019s, Knowlan\u2019s Festival Foods, Almsted\u2019s Fresh Market, Radermacher\u2019s Cub Foods, Driskill\u2019s, Mound Jubilee Foods, King\u2019s County Market in Andover, Everett\u2019s, and Ingebretsen\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Negotiations began in January and ran through mid-March, with members voting on their respective contracts as they were completed and recommended by their union bargaining committee members who negotiated with their employers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u2019s negotiations largely took place in person, masked and at a social distance in large conference rooms due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs essential workers, we\u2019ve been through a lot, and continue to serve on the front lines. Our new contracts recognize this. Our wage increases alone demonstrate the power we have when we come together as a union to fight for what we deserve,” said Courtney Huber, who works at the recently reopened Cub Foods on Lake Street.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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UFCW Local 663 member Courtney Huber (photo taken pre-pandemic)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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UFCW Local 663 member Jesslynn Phillips (photo taken pre-pandemic)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all have a responsibility to lift each other up. We came to agreements that improve part-time positions with better wages and benefits. As a single mom, that makes it easier to provide for my family,\u201d said Jesslynn Phillips, who works at Lunds & Byerlys in Richfield.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n