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Vol. 72/No. 14      April 7, 2008

 
Unionists at Minnesota slaughterhouse
demand ‘Contract now!’
 
BY JULIAN SANTANA  
SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minnesota, March 24—“Contract Now!”; “For Better Working Conditions”; and “For a Decent Raise!” were among the signs held by dozens of unionists and their supporters who greeted workers leaving the Dakota Premium Foods plant today. The big majority of the 250 meatpacking workers coming out of the plant expressed their support for the contract fight as they stopped their cars to talk to the demonstrators and take a union leaflet. Some Dakota workers joined them.

The action was organized by United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 789, which represents workers at the plant and is currently in negotiations with the company for a new contract. Participants also included members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the May Day Coalition, which is organizing a rally for immigrant rights in the Twin Cities on May 1.

The company’s response to the strong union showing was to have its security guard harass workers who stopped their cars. The guard yelled at workers and more than once hit their car windows to get them to move. He did this to every car that stopped, even those with no cars behind them and even when they were off company property. Several workers commented that the aggressiveness of the guard fit in with the bosses’ firings and other abuses in recent months, since workers defeated a union decertification effort by the company.

UFCW Local 789 scheduled the action for the day before the third negotiating meeting with the company. At the previous negotiating session workers proposed a substantial wage raise, control of the line speed to no more than 94 cows an hour, giving union officials access to the plant whenever workers needed them, paid sick days, better protection of seniority rights, and the right to bid on job openings. So far, the company’s answer to all the contract demands has been “No.”

Dave Vasquez, a kill floor worker and new union steward at Dakota, is one of the workers helping to organize to win a new contract. Of the union demonstration and union support he said, “I know the blustery wind chill discouraged some people, but little by little people are coming together. It’s getting bigger and bigger.” He reflected the attitude of most Dakota workers toward wages and the contract fight when he said, “We need to go forward in time not back in time.”

Julian Santana is a member of UFCW Local 789 and a kill floor worker at Dakota Premium Foods. Rebecca Williamson, a member of Local 789 and a boning department worker at Dakota, contributed to this article.  
 
 
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