Hunts Point strike averted, workers ratify contract
Hunts Point strike averted, workers ratify contract
Workers at the Hunts Point Terminal Market voted to approve a new, three-year contract, with 97 percent of workers voting "yes." The 1,300 workers, members of Teamsters Local 202, will receive significant wage increases in each year of the contract.
"It's our best wage and benefits package in two decades," Daniel Kane Jr., president of Teamsters Local 202, said in a press release.
Following the ratification vote, teamsters members and leaders said the ball is now in the New York City's court to ensure that Hunts Point stays competitive.
"This is only the first step in ensuring that Hunts Point Market remains a home for good jobs in the long term," Kane said in the release. "Now it's time for our city government to step up and ensure that this public property has the necessary infrastructure to meet 21st century needs and withstand the next hurricane."
The release stated that the facilities — located on an East River peninsula — have long needed renovation, and the urgency has only increased following Hurricane Sandy. Several mayoral administrations have considered projects to renovate Hunts Point Market, but no plan has yet moved forward.
"Hunts Point feeds New York," Kane said in the release. "Hunts Point employs the Bronx. We can't wait any longer to protect this vital resource for our city."