Renee Erickson's famed The Walrus and The Carpenter: Workers on strike

Workers are on strike and picketing Thursday evening at The Walrus and The Carpenter, Renee Erickson's flagship Seattle restaurant, the United Creatures of the Sea labor union said Thursday.

The critically acclaimed restaurant operated by Erickson's Sea Creatures restaurant group will stay open, staffed by "a combination of Sea Creatures employees, friends in the industry, new folks and management team," co-owner Chad Dale said Thursday afternoon. The union strike involves hourly workers, he said.

"They're striking today, but we're planning to open as normal," Dale said.

"Picketing starts at 4 p.m. tonight, and we plan to continue throughout the weekend," said Ford Nickel, secretary-treasurer of the United Creatures of the Sea union. "Management has copies of proposals signaling agreement to all mandatory subjects of bargaining and we're eagerly awaiting a response, but the workers could not tolerate one more day of stalling and bad-faith bargaining."

The workers voted unanimously to authorize the action after "last-ditch union efforts to secure a contract … were unsuccessful and workers were left with no recourse but to strike," according to a statement from the United Creatures of the Sea.

The unionized Walrus and The Carpenter workers have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging "a sustained pattern of unfair labor practices intended to undermine the union, delay negotiations and avoid reaching a first collective bargaining agreement," the statement detailed, including "refusals to provide relevant information, unilateral changes to hours and working conditions without notice or an opportunity to bargain … retaliation against union supporters through closures and firings, and the transfer of union work and hours to management employees to further erode the union's bargaining power."

In a statement to The Seattle Times for this story, Sea Creatures management said "we remain committed to working through our current union negotiations in good faith, reaching a fair agreement and returning to regular operations."

Open since 2010, The Walrus and The Carpenter has received multiple nominations for James Beard Awards, including as a finalist in the nationwide Outstanding Restaurant category in 2022.

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This story was originally published June 18, 2026 at 4:54 PM.