Brainerd Area Grocery Workers Ratify New Contract with Quisberg’s, Miner’s Stores

Approximately 660 grocery workers from five Brainerd Lakes Area grocery stores have ratified a new contract with the owners of those stores.

Union members had been working without a collective bargaining agreement since December 3 and took part in a four-day strike around Christmastime last December. The workers are from Quisberg’s and Miner’s grocery stores, which include Cub Foods in Brainerd and Baxter, Super One in Baxter and Crosby, and Supervalu in Pequot Lakes.

According to UCFW Local 663, the union that represents the workers, union members at Miner’s will see an average wage increase of over 17% and members at Quisberg’s will see average wages increase by over 21%. The new contract also include improved time off and bereavement leave, among other things.

As part of the agreement, the union also agreed to drop their Unfair Labor Practices complaint against the grocery store owners.

Michael LaCoste, Secretary-Treasurer and lead union negotiator, said in a statement that “good working conditions help to create good jobs,” and that the union member bargaining team “held the line for their co-workers to improve all working conditions.”

Quisberg’s and Miner’s released a joint statement that reads, “As family owners of Super One, Cub Foods, and Supervalu, we are pleased to have reached this agreement with our valued employees. We want to thank them for their hard work and dedication to our stores and for their collaboration on this agreement. We also want to thank our communities for supporting our stores and employees throughout these negotiations to ensure we can continue moving forward together.”

The three-year agreement is retroactive to December 3. Wages are effective May 5.