Workers at Ghirardelli Chocolate Company at Fisherman’s Wharf are picketing all day today, claiming that the historic confectioner is attempting to reduce health benefits and only give workers a tiny hourly cost-of-living raise that amounts to less than the actual price of adding a Maraschino cherry to a chocolate sundae.
The picket from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. is a new escalation in a monthslong tug-of-war between Ghirardelli and Unite Here Local 2, the union that represents hotel and restaurant workers in the Bay Area. At stake is the union-managed health insurance plan, which is in jeopardy because Ghirardelli is pushing to move workers to a company-run plan that would come with serious cuts to healthcare benefits, said Sonya Karabel, a researcher and spokesperson for Local 2.
Allowing Ghirardelli to take over health insurance would also mean that workers have less input over their coverage and benefits, Karabel said.
“For example, during the pandemic shutdown, the union was able to make the decision to spend funds and extend health insurance for workers,” she continued. “If a company like Ghirardelli had controlled health insurance, that would not have been an option.”
Diego Huerta, a 23-year-old cashier at Ghirardelli, said he is picketing today because he fears that he will not be able to treat his chronic illness if he loses union-managed insurance benefits. Huerta is considering more aggressive and expensive treatments for his ulcerative colitis; moving to a Ghirardelli-run plan could mean he has to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket for the care, he said.
The Ghirardelli job is the first time Huerta has been a union member, and he said that Local 2 has been important in giving workers a chance to speak up about grievances and workplace safety.
“It’s not just about me and my condition. I’ve noticed people in my workplace who have multiple health concerns. They’re elderly. Some people are going through mental health struggles. Therapy and treatment costs a lot of money,” Huerta said. “We’re putting pressure on companies to recognize the impact that we have as workers, and the fact that we need a more fair share of what we produce.”
The other facet of the union escalation is the proposed raise of just 25 cents. Workers at Ghirardelli have not seen wages increase since 2023, despite rampant inflation and the rising cost of living in San Francisco. Local 2 claims that the 25-cent increase is insufficient; currently, a busser at Ghirardelli in SF makes less per hour ($19.50) than the price of a single banana split ($19.95).
The action has already inspired some prickly reactions. Just 20 minutes after the picket began at 10 a.m., a person with a walkie-talkie walked into the middle of the group and called the police on them, Karabel said. The woman was with Ghirardelli Square property management, Karabel said, but it is unclear if the chocolate company was the one to send her. San Francisco police officers arrived but did not intervene in the picket.
Ghirardelli did not respond to Gazetteer’s request for comment by press time.
