NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – The product shelves at your neighborhood store may not be full soon, as most workers in the Hunts Point terminal market in the Bronx are now on strike.
Workers say dispute with their bosses is rising $ 1 an hour, CBS2’s John Dias said Sunday
Direct demand comes from more than 1,400 essential workers in New York.
“We are fighting for our rights and better pay,” said truck driver Wilford Alexander.
Each member of Teamsters Local 202 at Hunts Point Terminal Produce Market is now on a full strike after the market rejected their $ 1 per hour growth request.
The market’s counteroffer was an increase of 32 cents per hour.
“It’s not good enough to just clap for them and say they are essential. When they asked for a decent increase, a fair number, they should be told, “Yes, you can have that, and thank you,” said Teamsters Local 202 President Danny Kane.
From warehouse workers to truck drivers, these are the men and women Teamsters say he helped feed the tri-state area during the coronavirus pandemic with a base salary of $ 40,000 a year.
“I can’t telemute, I can’t call her. He has to show up, “Kane said. “Finally, we realize that these people did not become essential during the pandemic. They have been essential forever. ”
Most workers say they need growth to help their families.
Jimmy Morales, a dock worker, said he works 10 hours a day, six days a week.
“We come here, we work in the cold, the rain, the heat,” Morales said.
Many of them pay a price to get over the global health crisis.
“Infected, many, many have been infected. I mean 300 to 400 infected people, ”said Leonardo Servedio, vice president of Teamsters Local 202 VP.
Six union workers died due to COVID-19, according to Servedio.
“I am just angry that they have no remorse. They don’t care, “he said.
The Hunts Point terminal market is the largest wholesale market in the world. It offers 22 million people in 49 states.
The union said that without these workers sorting and delivering the products, the food supply in the tri-state area will be severely affected.
The union has not staged such strikes for almost 35 years. The workers said they would not return to work until they got the full increase.
No one at Hunts Point Produce Market Cooperative would talk to CBS2 on camera.
In a statement, he said the market is still open for business and is disappointed that the union moved away from the negotiating table more than a week ago.
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