On Nov. 2, 800 members of UFCW Local 222 who work at Seaboard Triumph Foods in Sioux City, Iowa, ratified their first union contract. Seaboard Triumph Foods is a new, state of the art pork slaughter and processing plant, which opened this September. In the near future, the company will add a second shift, which will increase the size of the unit to over 2,000 workers.
The new contract includes an immediate $40 cent per hour wage increase upon ratification, an additional $1.60 per hour increase over the life of the agreement. The agreement also provides good benefits.
“I am very excited for our union contract that lays a foundation for good wages and benefits,” said Yvette Bayona, who works on the kill floor at Seaboard Triumph Foods and served as a member of the negotiation committee. “I am looking forward to help build a strong union in our facility.”