Union members voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike at Hanover Foods if they cannot agree on a new contract with the Hanover-based company by the end of this month, according to Wendell Young, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776.
The most recent labor contract expired at the end of 2023, said Young, whose union represents nearly 300 workers at Hanover-area Hanover Foods plants.
Employees are currently working under an extension of the previous contract.
The union has given a thumbs down to management’s proposalsfor a new contract, arguing that it would slash retirement and health benefits and offers pay increases that do not keep up with inflation, Young said.
At a negotiating session on July 18, Young said, he notified the company that union members were prepared to go on strike Aug. 2 if no deal could be reached.
By law, the union must also provide at least seven days written notice, which Young said he planned to give this week.
What’s next: Negotiating sessions are scheduled for four days over this week and next week, Young said. But he doubted a deal would emerge.
“I’m not very optimistic right now,” he said, arguing that expired labor contracts typically result in more aggressive scheduling.
The vote authorizing a strike was held earlier this month, he said, noting that only one person voted against it.
Adam Santucci, an outside attorney who represents Hanover Foods, referred to a previous statement.
In that statement, he said benefits are more costly at the company’s Hanover plants and that it is trying, out of fairness, to be consistent companywide.
“Our bargaining team has made recommendations to help lower the costs of the Union Health Plan, and we remain committed to working to find ways to reduce the burden on both the company and employees,” he said. “We have and will continue to bargain in good faith.”
Hanover Foods employs about 1,300 people at 11 plants. The company’s products include canned and frozen vegetables, as well as snacks sold under the Bickel’s and Wege brands.
The trend: Union activity surged in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, symbolized by organizing drives everywhere from Amazon warehouses to Starbucks coffee shops.
The post-pandemic period also saw some high-profile strike threats, including at UPS and at major freight railroads.
Union membership, however, was little changed between 2022 and 2023, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Nonetheless, the National Labor Relations Board saw an uptick in activity from Oct. 1 to March 31, the first six months of the federal agency’s fiscal year. Charges of unfair labor practices, for example, were up 7%.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated from its original version to reflect more recent numbers provided by the company for its total workforce and number of plants.
