“Our international union has made the decision to halt our scheduled vote,” Local 1189 said in a statement on the union’s website. “The reason for their decision is that the current proposals from the employer group will be injurious to our members and other members of the UFCW. This halting of the vote has the full support of the officers and negotiating committee of our union.”
Negotiations began in January between Local 1189 and a group of St. Paul grocers, including Cub, Jerry’s Foods, Rainbow Foods, Kowalski’s, and Festival Foods. The previous grocery contract expired March 5. The negotiations cover more than 5,000 workers at stores in the east metro area.
UFCW International President Joseph Hansen last week exercised his authority under Article 23(A) of the International Constitution to halt voting on the offer, the union said. Article 23 (A) of the International Constitution gives the International President the right to review any proposed contracts prior to any membership action on the proposal. The purpose of this action is to give the International President the opportunity to assess the potential impact of proposed contract provisions on other UFCW members across the country and to see if they meet the established objectives relating to wages, benefits and working conditions.
“The International Union has expressed concerns about certain elements of this proposal,” said Local 1189 President Don Seaquist. “We owe an obligation to our members and to all UFCW members working in the grocery industry to fully review the current proposal to determine whether or not there are problems with this proposal and whether it would, frankly, be injurious to those members.”
The UFCW International Union and Local 1189 remain hopeful that ultimately an equitable solution can be reached that will benefits members and employers alike, he said.
Local 1189 represents more than 10,000 workers in Minnesota, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing, poultry, health care and general manufacturing industries.
Share
“Our international union has made the decision to halt our scheduled vote,” Local 1189 said in a statement on the union’s website. “The reason for their decision is that the current proposals from the employer group will be injurious to our members and other members of the UFCW. This halting of the vote has the full support of the officers and negotiating committee of our union.”
Negotiations began in January between Local 1189 and a group of St. Paul grocers, including Cub, Jerry’s Foods, Rainbow Foods, Kowalski’s, and Festival Foods. The previous grocery contract expired March 5. The negotiations cover more than 5,000 workers at stores in the east metro area.
UFCW International President Joseph Hansen last week exercised his authority under Article 23(A) of the International Constitution to halt voting on the offer, the union said. Article 23 (A) of the International Constitution gives the International President the right to review any proposed contracts prior to any membership action on the proposal. The purpose of this action is to give the International President the opportunity to assess the potential impact of proposed contract provisions on other UFCW members across the country and to see if they meet the established objectives relating to wages, benefits and working conditions.
“The International Union has expressed concerns about certain elements of this proposal,” said Local 1189 President Don Seaquist. “We owe an obligation to our members and to all UFCW members working in the grocery industry to fully review the current proposal to determine whether or not there are problems with this proposal and whether it would, frankly, be injurious to those members.”
The UFCW International Union and Local 1189 remain hopeful that ultimately an equitable solution can be reached that will benefits members and employers alike, he said.
Local 1189 represents more than 10,000 workers in Minnesota, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing, poultry, health care and general manufacturing industries.