Workers at Ghirardelli’s flagship San Francisco shop walked off the job for three days because they say the company is trying to raise their health care costs while contract talks have dragged on since 2025 without an agreement. The strike, which ran from Thursday through Saturday, was the first full shutdown at the shop in more than four decades and forced Ghirardelli to close its Original Chocolate and Ice Cream Shop in Ghirardelli Square.
What is the health care dispute actually about
Ghirardelli adds a 6% fee to customer bills at its Ghirardelli Square locations, a surcharge the company has described as supporting an employee health access program. City filings show the company collected about $857,000 through that fee in 2025 while spending close to $1.18 million on covered workers’ health costs, meaning the surcharge covered roughly 72% of that spending. Workers argue Ghirardelli has refused to share figures specific to the unionized flagship location, despite a request the union made back in February.
Did Ghirardelli break any laws
The union, Unite Here Local 2, filed a federal complaint with the National Labor Relations Board on the day the strike began, accusing Ghirardelli of withholding information relevant to bargaining, which can violate federal labor law. That charge is separate from San Francisco’s local health care rules. City labor officials say they have no record of any complaint or enforcement action against Ghirardelli under the municipal ordinance, so the legal fight centers on federal law rather than city policy.
How is Ghirardelli responding
A spokesperson for the company said Ghirardelli respects its employees and remains committed to negotiating in good faith toward an agreement that supports workers and the business long term. The company is owned by Swiss chocolate group Lindt and Sprüngli, which reported close to $7.3 billion in global sales last year and about $1.2 billion in operating profit, numbers the union points to when arguing the company can afford stronger coverage.
Is this part of a larger pattern
Yes. Health benefits have become one of the most common causes of strikes nationwide over the past year, according to researchers at Cornell who track labor disputes. Bay Area workers at the University of California, at the C&H Sugar refinery in Crockett and at Kaiser Permanente have all pointed to similar health coverage concerns in recent walkouts, suggesting the Ghirardelli dispute reflects a broader shift in what is driving labor unrest this year.
What does this mean for Ghirardelli customers
For now, little changes day to day. The flagship shop reopened once the strike ended Saturday night, and the company continues operating 19 locations across the country, many tied to major tourist destinations such as Disney parks, the Empire State Building and the Las Vegas Strip. The company topped $1 billion in annual sales for the first time last year, a milestone that came even as tension with its unionized workforce was building behind the scenes.
What happens next
The underlying contract dispute remains unresolved, and the federal labor charge is now in the hands of the National Labor Relations Board’s regional office, which will decide whether to pursue the case. Both sides say talks are ongoing, though neither has indicated when a new health care proposal might be reached.
