Hunts Point labor strike ends after a week
About 1,400 workers from the Teamsters Local 202 labor union ended their strike at Hunts Point Produce Market, Bronx, N.Y., after almost a week, when market management and the union reached an agreement on their wage increase.
More than 97% of the workers voted in favor of the three-year contract Jan. 23 — gaining one of the largest raises in the bargaining unit’s history, according to a union news release.
It was the first strike at the market in 35 years, according to the union.
Stephen Katzman, owner and president of S. Katzman Produce and co-president of the Hunts Point Cooperative Board, said the agreement comprises more than a 10% increase in wages and benefits in the contract’s timeline, with an average 3.4% increase for each of the three years.
“With an average annual increase just under three times the current cost of living increase, we feel this is a very fair and equitable deal,” Katzman said in a statement.
When the strike began the previous weekend, the union was asking for a $1 hourly wage increase, plus 60 cents an hour for increased health care costs, and market leaders offered 32 cents, according to the union.
A union spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that the agreement means its members will receive a 70-cent hourly wage increase plus an additional 40 cents an hour to cover higher health-care costs.
“They’ll be able to feed their families,” Local 202 union president Daniel J. Kane Jr. said in a statement. “It’s the largest deal we’ve ever signed.”
Both sides said the risks and challenges of the pandemic contributed to the dispute.
In the first few days of the strike, Hunts Point Produce Market cooperative board leadership cited a 30% drop in business last spring and an additional almost $3 million in personal protective equipment and safety measures to keep workers safe during the pandemic.
In the new contract, most employees will continue to contribute $10 per week for full family health care coverage, which is about $520 per year, while management will increase its annual contribution to almost $18,000 per member. Market management will also continue contributing $10,000 per year or per employee to the union pension fund.
The strike gained more attention in mainstream media and social media after six people in the picket line were arrested on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and were charged with disorderly conduct, according to local news reports and the union.
New York City Council members Farah N. Louis and Brad Lander joined the picketers, as did U.S. Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who represents the Bronx and Queens.
There are about 30 firms at the market, supplying 60% of New York City’s fresh produce, according to the market.
Three posts on Twitter from Hunts Point Produce Market assured the public that the market remained open for business during the weeklong strike, and Katzman did the same once the strike was over.
“New Yorkers can rest assured that they will continue to have access to a consistent supply of fresh fruits and vegetables from the Hunts Point Produce Market,” Katzman said in the statement. “We would also like to express our gratitude and thanks to our customers for all of their support and patience over the last week.”
