Minnesota meat packers win union victory!

http://www.themilitant.com/2008/7205/720557.html

BY CARLOS SAMANIEGO

SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minnesota, January 25—Dozens of Dakota Premium Foods workers were greeted with cheers and clapping when they entered the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789 hall here today. The workers won an overwhelming victory in their fight to beat back a company-sponsored effort to decertify the union in the plant.

"We're so happy. There aren't words to explain it," said Dakota worker Argelia Flores Diáz. "Now we have to stay together and fight for a better contract that gives us better wages and respect."

The vote - 152 for the union and 82 against - was an even greater margin of victory than the vote in 2000 that brought the union into the South St. Paul slaughterhouse. Each worker from the plant who entered the hall was given hugs, high-fives, and pats on the back from those already here celebrating.

"We needed to build momentum in the plant for this win, and we did it," said Local 789 president Don Seaquist. "This is a message to workers that they have the power."

The day before the vote more than 40 UFCW unionists and their supporters demonstrated outside the plant and handed out the latest copy of the Workers' Voice, a pro-union newsletter produced by the workers in the plant. The workers had put out four issues of the newsletter in less than two weeks to answer the bosses' anti-union campaign.

"This is better for all workers," said Eddie Ferreira, who has worked in the boning department at Dakota for three years. "Now we're united to defend ourselves. The bosses know they can't do anything they want. We always have to defend the union."

A full report on the victory will appear in next week's issue of the Militant.

Carlos Samaniego is a member of UFCW Local 789 and works at Dakota Premium Foods. Rebecca Williamson, a trimmer at Dakota Premium and a member of Local 789, contributed to this article.

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