Strike Averted As Lunds & Byerlys, Union Reach Agreement

Lunds & Byerlys union workers have reached a tentative agreement with the Minnesota grocery chain after more than three months without a contract and amid a looming strike.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 on Tuesday announced the agreement, which includes significant raises for full- and part-time employees by fall 2024 and worker-driven healthcare improvements.

Union members are scheduled to vote to ratify the contract Saturday.

“We won a lot of the raises and benefits that we’re fighting for,” Sarah Dike, cheese specialist at the Maple Grove Lunds & Byerlys, said in a union news release. “I look forward to talking more with my coworkers at the informational meetings we are holding so that we all understand what we will vote on later this week.”

Local 663 represents over 2,500 Lunds & Byerlys employees and announced a strike authorization last week. If the union and employer were unable to reach a contract by Thursday, workers at all 22 locations west of the Mississippi River planned to strike through Saturday. The company has 28 stores in total.

The union bargaining committee unanimously supported the tentative agreement, according to Lunds & Byerlys.

“Our resolve from the onset of these negotiations has been to champion industry-leading wages and a better healthcare plan for our team members, and we’re pleased the tentative agreement provides these benefits to our team members,” the company said in a statement on its website.