Ghirardelli Chocolate closed the doors of its flagship location at SF’s Fisherman's Wharf Thursday after union workers walked off the job to launch a three-day strike over an ongoing contract dispute.Ghirardelli shuttered its Original Chocolate Ice Cream Shop in Ghirardelli Square Thursday mornin g after workers began picketing, as the Chronicle reports.  The company then directed customers to its other stores, prompting union members to move their picket line to the nearby Ghirardelli Chocolate Experience. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Unite Here Local 2 (@uniteherel2) The strike stems from stalled contract negotiations between Ghirardelli and Unite Here Local 2, which represents about 50 employees at the flagship shop. The union says talks, which began in May 2025, have broken down over proposed cuts to workers' health insurance and the company's refusal to disclose how much revenue it collects from a 6% customer surcharge that employees say is intended to help fund healthcare costs, according to the Chronicle. “They charge customers an extra 6% fee that's supposed to be for our healthcare, but they won't tell us how much they earn from that fee,” longtime stocker Alicia Tamayo said in a statement released by the union. “Now they want to cut our health insurance.”San Francisco businesses can reportedly choose to add healthcare surcharges to customers' bills, but they must report how much they collect if the fee is meant to cover costs under the city's Health Care Security Ordinance, along with how much they spend on employee healthcare, with any excess ultimately going toward workers' health benefits.Previously, Local 2 union members held a one-day strike on Valentine’s Day, the company's busiest day of the year.Ghirardelli says it’s “bargaining in good faith” and remains focused on reaching an agreement that supports employees while ensuring the long-term success of the business. Per the Chronicle, the company did not directly answer questions about the surcharge or say how long the flagship store would remain closed.The flagship shop is reportedly the only unionized Ghirardelli location in San Francisco, and its employees have not gone on strike since 1984. Previously: Ghirardelli Workers Hold One-Day Strike on Valentine’s Day at SF’s Fisherman’s WharfImage: Local 2/Facebook ...read more read less