Tentative Agreement Reached with Lunds & Byerlys
Ratification Vote will take place on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 in store breakrooms from 6-8 a.m. and 2-4 p.m. and at the UFCW 1189 Union Hall from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Members can vote at any store within the 1189 jurisdiction.
Highlights:
- Industry-leading raises- $4.50 for full time, $3.50 for part time by 2026- the best wage increases for grocery retail in UFCW Minnesota history
- First-in-the-Nation protection for safety in our stores
- Increased contributions to the Union healthcare fund
- Increased ratio of full time to part time
- Increases to paid time off for all workers, including part time
- Language protecting workers from travelling in dangerous bad weather
- Protection for meat cutters, preventing loss in hours
- Safe staffing levels established for night shifts
- No givebacks or takeaways
- Sets a high bar for other grocery retailers
On Tuesday, March 12, the Union secured an historic agreement with Lunds & Byerlys. This would not have been possible if not for the hard work and dedication of our stewards and member leaders in the lead up to bargaining, which showed the employer that we stand united and willing to fight for what we deserve. Our preparation has paid of and we have secured some truly groundbreaking improvements to the contract.
The first consideration is, of course, the wages. The committee is thrilled to announce that we have won the best across the board increases in the history of Minnesota grocery retail. Full-time top and overscale employees will receive $2.50 per hour in the first year and $2.00 in the second, and part-time employees will gain $2.00 in year one and $1.50 in year two. Not only are these wage increases substantial, but we are happy that they have been front-loaded in order to maximize the positive impact for our coworkers.
In addition, we got a higher ratio of full-time employees, so now at least 35% of workers will be full time. We also secured protections for meat cutters, protecting them from losing hours and eliminating language that only protected employees before a certain date. We got more PTO and better work life balance for everyone, including part-timers who have often been left out of PTO considerations. And we got language making sure that if the weather is so bad that it is unsafe to travel, no one will have to risk it.
We also got the company to agree to updated safety language, including language that no other grocery contract in the country has secured until now dealing with protecting workers from violent events.
We did all this without giving anything up, and while still increasing the employer’s contribution to our healthcare fund to ensure we will be able to rely on it for years to come.
The committee is incredibly proud of this agreement, and believes it sets a high standard for the remaining grocery retailers. We stand in solidarity with our Union family at Jerry’s, UNFI, Festival, and Kowalski’s, and know that our victory will help them too.
This tentative agreement, therefore, comes with the endorsement of the committee and the request that you vote yes on April 3.
In Solidarity,
Your Bargaining Committee