Roth’s meat, deli workers set to strike Thursday over wages

More than 60 Roth’s Fresh Markets employees will strike Thursday amid ongoing negotiations over wages unless a contract agreement is reached. 

Roth’s workers in the meat and deli departments will begin their strike at 6 a.m. on Sept. 11 and continue through 2 p.m Saturday, Sept. 13, unless their demands are met, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 555 announced in a Wednesday press release.

Roth’s workers in other departments are not represented by a union. 

Workers first authorized a strike on Aug. 6, following months of contract negotiations. 

Roth’s was a homegrown Salem company that was purchased by the Pattison Food Group in 2021. The chain has nine stores spread across Marion, Polk and Yamhill counties, including five in Salem. 

Union spokesman Miles Eshaia said workers overwhelmingly backed the strike “because they refuse to accept a deal that disrespects their work, denies them fair pay, and weakens their pensions.”

The union statement did not include specifics about the wages or benefits workers are seeking.  

In the release, union President Dan Clay called the strike “avoidable” but said that would only happen if Roth’s “return(s) to the table with an offer that values their employees, not one that tries to drag the whole industry down.” 

This move comes after the union’s recent boycott campaign, “Don’t Shop Roth’s,” that launched billboards across Salem about a month ago urging people to not shop at the store.

“Until an agreement is reached, it’s simple. Just shop somewhere else,” Eshaia said in a Wednesday morning email.

The union claims that Roth’s workers are paid less than those of other local grocery stores and the parent company’s Canadian stores. Eshaia called the wage difference “substantial” in an August email.

In an unsigned Wednesday email, Roth’s said they continue “to bargain in good faith” and “have already yielded multiple tentative agreements.”

“The company has a long history of securing fair and mutually beneficial outcomes with our union partners and team members, and we are confident that these negotiations will be no different,” the email said. “During these ongoing discussions, store hours and service will not be impacted.”

Contract negotiations will continue today, according to the union. Workers will begin picketing tomorrow outside of all nine stores if talks fail.

This story has been updated to include recent comment from Roth’s.

Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] or (208) 515-4097.

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