UPDATE: Tops Markets and Teamsters Local Union 264 have agreed to a new four-year contract. You can find more here.
ORIGINAL: Tops Markets union workers have rejected the tentative four-year agreement reached on Friday between Teamsters Local Union #264 and Tops Markets.
One union source told 7 News that the vote on Saturday wasn't even close with 299 rejecting the deal and 99 accepting it.
"They basically moved money around, they didn't really give us much of an increase like what we were looking for," said Mark Chudzinski, a Warehouse Selector at the Distribution Center.
Tops Markets released the following statement regarding the decision:
Tops Markets is disappointed that the exceptional, industry-leading terms of our tentative contract agreement were voted down on Saturday by the membership of Teamsters Local Union #264, which represents about 590 Tops warehouse associates and drivers.
At the conclusion of all-day negotiations Friday, union leadership communicated their firm support for the terms of the agreement and stated an intent to publicly endorse the offer with both media and their membership. Tops remains committed to reaching a long-term contract agreement and is willing to work with union leadership to address the concerns of their members; however, it is evident that the union must resolve certain internal discord before any progress can be achieved.
Our responsibility as an organization is to ensure that every community we serve has access to the groceries they need to feed their families. Throughout our company footprint, Tops is often the only supermarket in a town or neighborhood, rendering it essential that we keep all stores open, stocked, and serving customers. As such, we have advanced contingency plans to do exactly that. We will keep feeding our communities while meeting the needs of all 14,000 Tops associates. In the days to come, customers will continue to experience the same service, selection, and value that they rely on from their local Tops store.
Several union workers went on strike Friday after a contract agreement between the grocery chain and union 264 was rejected on Thursday.
"You're stealing money from American workers," said Felix Hromchak, a 32-year warehouse worker. "Through the years we were scandaled out of our pension, we had pay raises diverted into a pension fund. For hard labor, you need to pay us."
Currently, there are open positions at the Tops warehouse that range from $16 to $19.75 per hour. Truck driver positions are also open for $27.50 per hour.
"When we lost our pension fund, we lost our pay raises, and that would've kept us up with our competitors today," said Hromchak.
Tops provided the following statement early Friday morning:
"As we work diligently to reach a new contract agreement with Teamsters Local Union #264, which represents our warehouse associates and drivers, we will continue to serve our customers with normal operations at all our store locations. Plans are in place to ensure there is no service disruption. In the days to come, customers can expect the same service, selection, and value that they rely on from Tops.
Over the course of the last several months, we have negotiated in good faith to reach a long-term contract agreement with the union. Throughout the process, we have prioritized the needs and interests of all our associates, customers, and communities.
Tops’ latest offer contained an industry-leading total compensation and benefits package that exceeds any prior contract we’ve had in place with the union. After our proposed agreement was voted down today, we immediately requested to resume negotiations to achieve a resolution as soon as possible. With our company’s long and proud union history, we value our partnership with local labor, and we are optimistic that we will soon reach a long-term agreement that meets our responsibility to our entire organization and allows us to fulfill our commitment to serving the grocery needs of our community."
Teamsters Local Union #264 members told 7 News that they just want a fair wage because making ends meet is difficult.
"During COVID when they came into work day in and day out, even though they weren't first responders, they were deemed essential," Darrin Ziemba, secretary for Teamsters Local 264 told 7 News. "They came to work day in and day out to make sure Western New York had food that they could get from the store. They didn't know what they were taking home to their families when they came in here and they worked every day through that pandemic. Now when it's our turn to be rewarded with a fair and just contract, they don't do what's right. We'll stay out here as long as we have to to win this fight."
"This is my job, this is how I feed my family," said David DeJesus, another warehouse worker.
