Grocery store employees have worked with Minnesota-based Lunds & Byerlys supermarket to ratify their next two-year contract, reports local news source MPR News. Labor union United Food and Commercial Workers members from Local 633 shared that the contract includes historic wage increases and pay equity.
Last week, the union threatened to strike over unfair labor practices. Demands included better wages, pay equity, and improved health care. After reaching an agreement, workers from 10 store locations across the western Twin Cities metropolitan area voted on the contract on Saturday.
The ratified agreement covers 2,500 workers at 22 store locations and will give workers an average raise of between three and four dollars per hour by the spring of next year.
The labor union also represents workers at Cub Foods who negotiated for better pay earlier this year.
“Cub paved the way for us. They set the standard for wages and Lunds & Byerly’s has now set the new standard for the grocery industry,” said Rosemary Luoma, who works at the St. Louis Park Lunds and Byerlys. Full Story
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