Brainerd-area grocery store workers plan strike later this month

About 660 grocery store workers at five grocery stores in the Brainerd Lakes area are planning a walkout later this month.

Pequot Lakes SuperValu, Cub Foods in Brainerd and Baxter, and SuperOne Foods in Baxter and Crosby will participate in a four-day strike from Dec. 22 to 25. The workers, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663, allege that their rights have been repeatedly violated.

Union members voted overwhelmingly last week to give the union bargaining committee the power to call a strike for unfair labor practices. A statement from the union reads: It’s always a last resort. But we must stand up for our rights as essential workers. We will continue to negotiate in good faith for contracts that reflect our efforts and a workplace that respects our rights. ”

UFCW Local 663 union members have been working without a collective bargaining agreement since Dec. 3. Union members are fighting for better wages and benefits to “build better lives at work and better serve the communities that depend on them,” according to a press release. ”

Members hope to reach a tentative agreement with both companies soon.