Hunts Point Strike: Essential workers forced to protest for a single-dollar raise

Feb 12

*Photo credit: Claudia Irizarry Aponte/THE CITY*

Overview of the Hunts Point Strike

In the first weeks of January 2021, 1,400 workers in the Bronx, New York went on strike with a very simple request: a $1 per hour raise and better health insurance. These workers are members of Teamsters Local 202, the union representing produce workers at the Hunts Point Produce Market that supplies around 60% of New York City’s fruits and vegetables. These essential workers, whose average base wages had been between $18 and $21 an hour, had been offered a 35-cent pay increase due to pandemic risks, which felt like a slap in the face after asking for a minimal increase in hazard pay during a time when 6 of their coworkers had already died from the coronavirus.

“Our bosses don’t feel we’re essential workers—we’re only essential when they say we’re essential,” said William Brown in an interview with The Nation, who has worked at the market for 21 years. “We’re showing them that they need us.”

“Essential Workers” Deserve More Than Just a “Thank You”

The term “essential worker” quickly became common vernacular in early 2020 as certain jobs and businesses were deemed vital to their communities. This designation was based on local regulations, perception of value, and their ability to socially distance. Being labeled “essential” was supposed to mean more protections and support for companies and workers, but often that support was minimal. Grocery store workers received “hazard pay”, an increase in hourly pay offered as a way to attract employees who were leaving jobs they felt were too dangerous. Often this pay only lasted a few months until companies claimed they “couldn’t afford” to continue paying their workers that higher wage. Big organizations saying thank you to their essential workers is just expensive PR if not backed up by tangible support and protections for those workers.

Why this strike is important

This strike is not an isolated incident but is instead one high-profile case amongst a sea of labor organizing efforts across the country since the onset of this pandemic. Not only did the six-day Hunts Point strike win them concessions from their employer, but it became a focal point of essential labor and economic justice. The picket attracted hundreds of supporters nearly every day, garnered thousands of dollars in donations, and became a minor social media sensation, with congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez showing up to help attract support amongst younger constituents. Their modest demands resonated with many sympathizers across the country tired of the compounding injustices of COVID-19, income inequality, and racial injustices.

Outside of nurses and medical professionals, the pandemic has put more pressure on food systems workers up and down the food chain than nearly any other field. Hundreds of meatpacking workers have died due to negligent management during COVID-19 outbreaks in meatpacking plants, farmworkers have continued their work without masks to protect them from the virus or fires, and grocery store workers have been forced to double as clerks and mask-police. The wide-spread public support for this strike echoed the support that’s grown for other workers in similar situations, and is just one example of striking workers and union demands across the country. In April 2020, Nebraska meatpacking plant workers went on strike for their health and safety (despite an executive order from former President Trump to keep meat packing plants open), in July meatpackers in Colorado did the same, and just last week Albertsons workers voted to go on strike in Phoenix, Arizona. This article in Eater goes into more detail about the stress of the pandemic on food systems workers.

Raising wages for workers shouldn’t affect our food prices

Many who are opposed to minimum wage increases focus on the increased costs of goods for consumers. While it might seem like there is a direct relationship between the cost of your cheeseburger and the cook in the back flipping patties, there are so many other factors affecting supply and demand that a 10% increase in minimum wage only affects food prices by around 0.4%. The same is true with farmworkers along the food supply chain. Studies have shown that even a 40% increase in farmworker pay wouldn’t be felt by the pockets of most American families.

That said there is a direct relationship between minimum wage and the number of families in poverty. Even conservative estimates guess that raising the minimum wage in the United States to $15 by 2025 would lift over a million families out of poverty and increase incomes for over 1.7 million more. In a country where the minimum wage has been stagnant for nearly a dozen years while the cost of living has continued to climb, supporting workers requesting an increase in wages isn’t radical, it’s simply humane.

What can you do to support workers at all levels of the food chain?

Supporting unions and electing officials who support unions is one of the most important ways to support workers in your region. Politicians have the power to influence and support legal consequences for companies who do not support fair wages, working conditions and benefits for their workers as outlined by unions. Calling your elected officials,articulating your support for unions, and expressing your support for specific strikes is incredibly important, any time of the year.
When workers are striking, not crossing the picket line and instead choosing to boycott their company until their demands are met is extremely important. You may even be able to contact union organizers to see if you can bring snacks or coffee depending on the specific situation at each unique strike.
You can follow along with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), a labor union made up of 1.3 million workers in the U.S. and Canada.
Supporting the work of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a worker-based human rights organization and premier farmworker rights organization, led by workers.

Sources:

Note: Writing about labor issues is something that we want to do more of here at Grounded Grub, but it is not our area of expertise. Did we miss something in this article? What more can we add or clarify? Please let us know in the comments so we can continue to improve our work! Also, if you are interested in writing about labor issues in the food system, please reach out to us about contributing — we are currently able to compensate our contributors a small amount for each piece.

Hannah Fuller

Hunts Point Strike: Essential workers forced to protest for a single-dollar raise

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