Two Minnesota Locals to Merge

SN STAFF

SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. — Two Minnesota-based sister locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers have voted to approve a merger.

Effective Sept. 1, UFCW 789 here and UFCW 1189 in Duluth, Minn., will merge to form Local 1189, comprising 12,000 members in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. The unions said the merger would provide greater efficiency and better position it for growth.

The union said it would maintain current offices as North and South divisions and that Don Seaquist, president of Local 789, would be president of the combined group. Members in votes in recent weeks approved the merger by 95.7% and new by-laws by 94.3%.

The group represents workers at several retailers, including Cub Foods, Byerly’s and Rainbow Foods.