San Francisco’s most famous chocolate tourist stop is now a labor battleground, as workers at the Original Ghirardelli Chocolate & Ice Cream Shop launched a three-day strike today over health coverage, financial transparency and contract terms.
The walkout is centered at the Ghirardelli Square location near Fisherman’s Wharf, where about 50 employees work and the union says managers may decide whether to keep the shop operating. Picketers were expected outside while UNITE HERE Local 2 called on customers not to go in, according to The San Francisco Standard.
The Healthcare Fee Sits At The Center
Contract talks began in May 2025, and the union alleges Ghirardelli has withheld information about revenue from a 6% healthcare fee added to customer bills while seeking changes to the union health plan. The company’s parent, Lindt & Sprüngli, offered a different account during a February picket, telling ABC7 News that its proposals covered 100% of employees’ monthly healthcare premiums.
The latest action follows earlier pressure campaigns, including a December picket over proposed wage increases and the possibility of moving workers from union-managed coverage to a company-run plan. Gazetteer SF reported at the time that workers had not received a wage increase since 2023 and viewed the proposed raise as inadequate amid San Francisco’s high cost of living.
Workers Say The Benefits Are The Point
For employees, the dispute is not just about a line item on a customer receipt. Alicia Tamayo, a longtime stocker, told the Standard that she depends on the benefits for her two daughters, while supervisor Cynthia Cardoza said workers remained united after more than a year of negotiations.
The Original Ghirardelli shop is the company’s only unionized location in San Francisco, and the brand’s own store listing describes it as the first location focused on sundaes when it opened in 1966. UNITE HERE Local 2 lists the shop among the Bay Area’s unionized restaurants and food-service operations.
The last strike at the flagship location was in 1984. For now, the labor fight is playing out at a shop built around tourist indulgence, with the contested healthcare fee at the center of a much less sweet argument over who pays for coverage and who gets to see the numbers.
