Kowalski’s employees in Eagan, west metro approve three-day strike in contract dispute
Union employees at Kowalski’s Markets in Eagan and the west metro voted Monday to authorize an unfair labor practices strike.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663, which represents more than 600 workers across the six stores, announced Tuesday that the workers plan to hold a three-day strike in their quest for better wages and to maintain worker-driven health care, according to the union’s news release.
The strike would take place Aug. 4-6 at the Eagan, Eden Prairie, Excelsior, Minneapolis Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis Lyndale Avenue and Minneapolis Chicago Avenue (Parkview) stores.
UFCW Local 663 says it has filed a complaint against Kowalski’s for intimidation of employees exercising their rights to participate in protected concerted activity, interfering with concerted union activity, illegal surveillance of union activity and bargaining in bad faith.
“On Monday, our coworkers stood together against company intimidation and demonstrated our power as a union and voted to authorize a strike. Kowalski’s has engaged in unfair labor practices meant to stop us from exercising our rights despite our tireless efforts to serve customers every day,” the bargaining committee said in a statement.
The committee said it is open to meeting at the table before Aug. 4 to continue negotiating for a new contract.
Mike Oase, Kowalski’s chief operating officer, said in an email: “Kowalski’s is very proud of our current proposal which includes historically high wage increases as well as a more comprehensive and less expensive healthcare plan for our union employees.
“UFCW 663 leadership is misleading Kowalski’s employees with false information and intimidation tactics.
“We will continue to fight for what’s just for our employees and we will do it with respect and transparency. We can also assure you that we are not and would never bully our employees in anyway.”
The union says the Kowalski’s workers have been working without a collective bargaining agreement since March 5.
The Woodbury-based grocer operates 11 stores overall in the Twin Cities.
Earlier this month, UFCW Local 663 workers also threatened a strike against Edina-based Lunds & Byerlys. But the union members ultimately agreed to a two-year contract that the local said provided “historic wage increases and pay equity” to 2,500 employees at 22 Lunds & Byerlys stores in the west metro.
A similar planned strike at Cub Foods stores, whose employees are also represented by UFCW Local 663, was scheduled for Easter weekend and averted just hours before it was set to begin.
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