A strike that began on Sunday, January 17 came to an end around noon today when 1,400 Hunts Point produce market workers, members of Teamsters Local 202, overwhelmingly ratified a three-year contract. The majority of New York City’s produce passes through Hunts Point, making it a critical chokepoint, a fact that ratcheted up pressure on the workers for a quick settlement. 

Having persisted in the face of aggressive police and freezing temperatures, the union declared victory. As the City reports, Local 202 president Dan Kane called the contract “the largest deal we’ve ever signed.” This morning, some 97 percent of the striking workers voted in favor of ratifying the contract. 

The contract includes an immediate raise of 70 cents an hour, followed by a 50 cent raise in 2022. For workers who currently make $18.57 an hour, as well as drivers, 2023 will see a 65-cents-an-hour raise. Warehouse workers currently earning $20.70 will receive a $1,300 bonus in 2023 instead of the 65 cents. Workers also successfully fought off management’s push to make workers pay additional contributions to family health care benefits.