Schnucks deli, seafood, and meat workers in the St. Louis area have voted to stop working if negotiations for a new contract fail, according to reporting from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
It is the third time in the last three years United Food and Commercial Workers Local 88 members have clashed with the grocer during contract negotiations. Deli, seafood, and meat workers make up about 11% of Schnucks workforce. Local 88 has about 1,000 members.
Healthcare benefits is at the top of the list when it comes to Schnucks worker concerns. Local 88’s healthcare is self-funded. In other words, the employer pays claims to medical providers. At the end of fiscal year 2022 there were 10 months’ worth of cash reserves for the healthcare plan, but the union wants more money due to the increasing cost of medical care.
According to Local 88 Schnucks does not want to increase the funding, and without it reserves are predicted to drop to four months.
Local 88 said it also wants sick pay and additional wages for holidays, as well as an overall increase in hourly pay. The union says United Food and Commercial Workers Local 655, which carries members that have similar positions, make over $3 more an hour than Local 88 employees.
Schnucks’ current offer does not address the wage concerns.
Back in April 2021 during contract negotiations, Local 88 rejected a deal that would allow Schnucks to staff meat, deli, and seafood counters with workers from other store departments. One month later a deal covering compensation and benefits was rejected before Local 88 agreed to a new contract.
In an emailed statement to Supermarket News, Schnucks said the following:
“Schnucks teammates who are members of UFCW Local 88 had the opportunity to vote on the company’s contract offer this past Wednesday. We are disappointed that the proposal did not pass.
“We remain committed to continuing discussions at the bargaining table and are hopeful that we’ll reach a new agreement soon. In the meantime, we will discuss the next steps with the union while focusing on reaching a positive outcome for our UFCW Local 88 teammates and for our company as a whole.”
