Cub, union for grocery workers reach tentative deal to avoid strike

(ABC 6 News) – Early Friday morning, the union representing roughly 3,000 grocery workers reached a tentative deal with Cub Foods.

According to the union, the agreement is set to provide raises of $2.50 to $3.50 an hour by spring of 2024.

Rena Wong, the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 663, issued the following statement regarding the deal Friday morning:

“This is a union of people who sacrificed beyond imagination, to keep Minnesotans fed during the pandemic. It is no surprise, then, that these grocery workers were able to organize the most powerful contract campaign the Twin Cities grocery industry has seen in decades. The bargaining committee believes that this tentative agreement respects, protects, and pays our members fairly. We look forward to sharing the agreement with the thousands of UFCW Local 663 members, and continuing to welcome new members who are working to organize their own workplaces.”

Rena Wong, UFCW Local 663 President

The contract for these union workers expired on March 4, and nearly 95% of the union’s members voted to approve a strike earlier this week.

The bargaining committee is currently organizing a ratification vote for April 11.

Cub Foods also released a statement overnight, and said the following:

Cub is pleased to announce it has reached a tentative agreement for a two-year contract with UFCW Local 663 that will provide Minneapolis and west Metro area Cub team members with historic wage increases and continued comprehensive health and welfare and retirement benefits as requested by the union. The tentative agreement will need to be ratified by Local 663 members during a vote to be held next week, but as part of the agreement Cub team members will return to a normal work schedule tomorrow morning. We care greatly for our Cub team members and are pleased that our stores will be open and ready to serve our customers and communities throughout the holiday weekend.

Cub Foods

Workers planned to strike at all 33 Cub locations owned by UNFI in the Twin Cities metro both Friday and Saturday before returning to work Monday. The strike would have also affected the pharmacies located inside the affected stores.