Members of UFCW Local 1161 Ratify New Union Contract with JBS

X post in Socialist-Progressive.

Jun 06, 2014

New union contract includes raises, maintains affordable, quality health care plan



Worthington, Mn. – Workers at the JBS pork processing facility in Worthington, Minnesota who belong to United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1161 have ratified a new union contract.

“This is a great agreement, not only for JBS workers but the entire Worthington community,” said Mike Potter, President of Local 1161. “This contract means that more than $23 million dollars will be pumped into the local economy over the next five years. Much of our time at the bargaining table was spent working to protect affordable, quality health care. Thanks to the unity of the union membership, and the solidarity shown to us by other UFCW local unions around the country, we were able to hammer out an agreement that keeps workers healthy at a cost that doesn’t threaten the family budget or the company’s ability to grow and make a profit. Negotiations were tough, but ultimately, this agreement shows that sticking together in a union means your voice is heard and respected at work.”

The new contract will:

Provide wage increases of 12.8% over the life of the five year agreement.

Include a retroactive pay increase for all hours worked since the expiration of the previous contract. The previous contract expired on June 30, 2013.

Maintain affordable health care costs for employees with only minor plan changes.

FULL story at link.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, visit www.ufcw.org, or join our online community at www.facebook.com/UFCWinternational and www.twitter.com/ufcw.