After the strike, the union is now calling on customers to boycott Fred Meyer stores in Portland, Oregon

After a six-day strike, some 4,500 employees at the Fred Meyer grocery store in Portland, Oregon, are now calling for a customer boycott to continue putting pressure on contract negotiations.

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555 issued a news release Thursday urging the community to support the workers by not shopping at Fred Meyer stores until the two sides can agree on a new contract.

“Fred Meyer was held accountable (during the strike), and the company now understands how many of its workers are determined to change,” said Miles Eshaia, communications coordinator for UFCW Local 555.

Negotiations are expected to continue on September 11 and 12.

Fred Meyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the proposed boycott.

UFCW Local 555 accuses Fred Meyer of unfair labor practices and says the grocer is refusing to provide information critical to ongoing negotiations.

Specifically, the union said the grocer announced to employees an offer of additional pension funding without presenting a proposal to increase pension funding during contract negotiations. The union filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Fred Meyer on Aug. 20.

The union also accuses Fred Meyer of failing to pay its currently required pension contributions, a charge the grocer denies.

The workers continued one week strike on August 28 before returning to work on September 3. The union calls the temporary protest a success.

The grocer said it met with UFCW Local 555 at least 12 times to try to resolve issues over a new contract and offered the following: