Why More Than 600 Foodland Workers Are Poised To Strike In Hawaii 0 The local supermarket chain has been in talks with the union since its collective bargaining agreement expired in April 2021.
One of Hawaii’s largest private employers is scheduled to meet Thursday with union leaders to avert a threatened strike that could cause a massive blow to the company on the eve of the key holiday season.
Foodland Supermarket Ltd.’s collective bargaining agreement with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local 480, expired in April 2021. Since then, despite numerous meetings, the two sides haven’t been able to reach an agreement on a new contract. In recent weeks, the union’s president, Pat Loo, has been meeting with employees, gathering votes to authorize a strike.
Loo has approval from workers on Oahu, he said, and has been gathering approval from Big Island union employees this week. The union represents more than 600 meat, seafood, bakery and deli workers in the company’s 31 Foodland, Foodland Farms and Sack N Save stores statewide. The company has some 2,600 workers total.
