BRIDGETON, MO - Schnuck Markets is preparing to move a majority of its operation in Bridgeton to a new 915,000 square-foot distribution center. The new facility is scheduled to open in July, which will result in a cut of almost 200 jobs as they stand in the warehouse’s current location.
“We have outgrown our Bridgeton warehouses; they are very old, and as a result, inefficient by today’s standards,” the company said in a prepared statement, according to the St. Louis Today. “The new facility offers an efficient layout that nearly doubles the space we currently have. It also increases service capabilities because of its improved design.”
Chairman and Chief Executive, Todd Schnuck, informed workers of the warehouse shift on April 4. Upon portions of the warehouse operation being moved to new location, the company said, 190 union jobs will be cut between late July and September.
“Transitions like this are difficult for any organization and we are no different,” the company said in reference to the upcoming cuts. “This was carefully considered and, we believe, further positions Schnucks for growth and is in the best long-term interest of our customers and teammates.”
Facility operations are shifting in location from the old warehouse in Bridgeton to the new location in nearby Kinlock, and will also be operated by a third-party logistics company. This changes, stated Schnucks, will be a more efficient system.
Secretary and Treasurer of Teamsters Local 688, Mike Goebel, told St. Louis Today that the union has filed a grievance against the company, stating that the move violates its collective bargaining agreements.
According to one report, Gloebel stated that this warehouse move was an influx of nonunion workers into the grocery realm. “He [Schnuck] is doing exactly what we have fought against for the past dozen years,” Goebel continued.
Schnucks has answered the union’s qualms with a new 6-year agreement between itself and Teamsters Local 610. This agreement was confirmed on April 10, in efforts to show the company’s commitment to its “union teammates”, said the company.
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