Hunts Point in negotiations to thwart Jan. 16 strike
Hunts Point in negotiations to thwart Jan. 16 strike
Union workers at Hunts Point Terminal Market say workers who handle fruits and vegetables at the market, located in South Bronx, NY, have voted to authorize a strike as the deadline for a new contract looms closer, according to a report by ABC affiliate WABC-TV New York.
The strike is scheduled to start on Friday morning, Jan. 16, just as the bell strikes past midnight.
Members of Teamsters Local 202 voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike Tuesday, Jan. 13, stopping work at the market as soon as Friday morning.
According to the report, the union said the main issues of contention are the amounts of wage increases and employees' health care costs.
Workers, who make an average of $44,000 a year, are asking for a raise that works out to an extra $25 a week. Management has countered with an increase of $16 a week. Contributions to health insurance are another union issue.
It is suggested that the teamsters union specifically chose Jan. 16 as the strike date, knowing well the working methodology of produce movement at Hunts Point, where dozens of long-standing produce distributors have held space for numerous generations.
Friday is typically the busiest day at the market, with customers needing to fill their shelves and dining tables for the weekend. But this is a particularly important weekend in that Monday, Jan. 19, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a national holiday during which the terminal market is closed.
The combination of this long holiday weekend, and the potential of hundreds of workers not showing up tomorrow morning to move produce, could result in some fresh but old produce still sitting on the docks on Tuesday morning.
It is also mentionable that companies located on Hunts Point Terminal Market are a highly resilient group. If the teamsters do strike, we’ll likely see a lot of company officials driving fork lifts and loading produce to get the job done, and done right, on Friday morning.