Hundreds of Brainerd Lakes grocery workers on strike through Christmas
Hundreds of workers at five Brainerd Lakes grocery stores are on strike through Christmas.
The strike started Friday morning and workers say the stores are engaging in unfair labor practices.
The union and its members are calling it a last resort.
“Unfortunately, we are outside today on a ULP strike due to the owners surveying us, interrogating us, not being willing to go back to the bargaining table,” said Molly, who works at Cub Foods in Baxter.
The strike is affecting 5 stores: Quisberg’s Cub Foods in Brainerd and Baxter, Miner’s Super One Foods in Baxter and Crosby and the Pequot Lakes Supervalu.
“This is the last thing we wanted to do as members,” said Tony Ramberg, who is a meat cutter at Super One Foods.
Ramberg said he stands with his United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 members who believe Quisberg’s and Miner’s have engaged in unfair labor practices.
“We got to a point to where neither side could get to an agreement,” Ramberg said.
Along with better wages and benefits, a news release from the union indicates that members have experienced interrogation, surveillance and intimidation from their employers.
“We’ve got pretty strong union strength up here so we’re just trying to get through this and get through the holidays and we’ll move forward and see how it goes,” Ramberg said.
Earlier this year, thousands of Twin Cities grocery store workers authorized a similar unfair labor practices strike but did reach agreements on a new contract.
“It did set precedence for us,” Ramberg said.
So what does this mean for shoppers? Store owners are telling the local newspaper they will have reduced hours during the strike.
“We all want to work, we all like our jobs, it’s not like none of us don’t like our jobs we’re just fighting for something that we all believe in,” Ramberg said.
Ramberg says the plan is to resume negotiations after Christmas during the middle of next week.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reached out to the owners of the store locations as well as the Minnesota Grocers Association but have not heard back.