{"id":2874,"date":"2023-12-20T16:23:20","date_gmt":"2023-12-20T22:23:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufcw663.org\/blog\/?p=2874"},"modified":"2024-04-21T07:40:45","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T12:40:45","slug":"ufcw-local-663-essential-workers-ready-to-ulp-strike-brainerd-lakes-grocers-before-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw663.org\/blog\/2023\/12\/20\/ufcw-local-663-essential-workers-ready-to-ulp-strike-brainerd-lakes-grocers-before-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"UFCW Local 663 Essential Workers Ready to ULP Strike Brainerd Lakes Grocers Before Christmas"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brainerd Lakes, MN <\/strong>\u2013United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663 essential grocery workers in the Brainerd Lakes area continue to prepare for a Christmas time ULP Strike. Workers announced the ULP strike dates last week because their rights have been repeatedly violated when advocating for themselves and coworkers during contract negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Molly Cosert, front end manager at Quisberg\u2019s Baxter Cub Foods said, \u201cAt Christmas my kids are usually most excited to spend time with family, getting together with cousins from the city and being teenagers together. But instead we\u2019re getting ready to go out on a ULP strike. If going out on strike this Christmas is what we need to do to show Quisberg\u2019s, Miner\u2019s, and this whole community how essential we are, we will do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We hope Quisberg\u2019s and Miner\u2019s care for us more than this, because we care about these companies and would prefer not to cause long term damage. Striking and airing this all out with the customers and community will cause long term damage to the companies, and nobody wants that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a statement sent out last week, the union bargaining committee said, \u201cThe decision to call a strike is not an easy one to make. It is always a last resort. However we have to stand up for our rights as essential workers. We continue to bargain in good faith for a contract that reflects our hard work and a workplace that honors the rights we have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The union bargaining committee has asked for future bargaining dates with the employers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A four day Unfair Labor Practices Strike is set for December 22-25 at five Brainerd Lakes area grocery stores: Miner\u2019s Super One Foods in Baxter, Miner\u2019s Super One Foods in Crosby, Quisberg\u2019s Cub Foods in Baxter, Quisberg Cub Foods in Brainerd, and Quisberg\u2019s Pequot Lakes SuperValu. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since last Tuesday, UFCW Local 663 has filed ULP charges against Quisberg\u2019s<\/a> and Miner\u2019s<\/a> for interrogation, surveillance, intimidation from their employers, and bargaining in bad faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essential grocery workers are not alone. Minnesota\u2019s Labor Movement supports these workers as they demand to stop having their rights violated. The Minnesota AFL-CIO<\/a> and Teamsters Joint Council 32<\/a> have sent public letters to UFCW Local 663 voicing their support and strike sanctions if needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BACKGROUND:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essential grocery store workers have been exercising their rights to take collective actions at their stores:<\/p>\n\n\n\n