Trying to head off a drive to organize its Storm Lake, Iowa plant, Tyson Foods contends the prospective union wants to exclude some classes of workers from voting.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Local 440, which represents union workers at Tyson's Dension, Iowa plant, have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board, calling for an election at the Storm Lake pork plant. The NLBR resumed a hearing Thursday to determine which class of workers should be eligible to vote.
Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson contends the union wants to "cherry pick'' among the 1,700 plant employees, excluding groups who normally are permitted to vote, including maintenance and training workers, as well as those who serve on the plant's safety committee.
While it's up to employees if they want union representation, Tyson officials point out the workers have done just fine without it. Mickelson said pay for the Storm Lake plant workers is already higher than at the company's unionized plants and benefits are the same.
"We don't believe a third party is needed to intervene in the relationship with our team members,'' he said.
A woman who answered the phone at Local 440's office in Denison said no union leaders were available Thursday to comment.
The current five-year contract at Tyson's largest unionized plant, in Dakota City, expires Aug. 8. Negotiators for Tyson and UFCW Local 222, which represents more than 3,500 workers at the beef plant, opened talks on a new contract.
The Dakota City plant, built by IBP inc. in the mid-1960s, has a history of labor unrest. Workers struck five times between 1969 and 1986, and some walkouts turned violent. There were incidents of firebombings and sabotage in 1969, and in 1982 the National Guard and state troopers were called for crowd control.
But the last three contracts, in 1991, 1995 and 1999, were ratified without a work stoppage.
"We're optimistic a new labor agreement will be reached without any labor dispute or any labor disruption,'' Mickelson said. "The last several contracts at Dakota City were ratified without a strike, and we're hopeful labor peace will continue.''
Marvin Harrington, president of UFCW Local 222, was in bargaining sessions Thursday and could not be reached for comment.
Also Thursday, negotiations resumed in Cherokee, Iowa, where more than 600 union employees at a Tyson retail detail plant have been working without a contract since May 21. Union workers overwhelmingly rejected what Tyson described as its "last, best and final offer."
The UFCW Local 179 contends Tyson is pushing a plan that would freeze wages, make health insurance coverage unaffordable and undermine their pension plans. The company said its proposal is aimed at bringing wages and benefits at the plant more in line with other Tyson-operated plants in the region. IBP, which merged with Tyson three years ago, acquired the Cherokee plant from Foodbrands America in 1997.
Posted by UFCW 227 at July 9, 2004 11:57 PM