Monthly Archives: November 2021

On Nov. 1, members of UFCW Local 293 who work at Wholestone Farms in Fremont, Neb., ratified a historic new contract with the first-ever paid sick leave provided by the company. The contract also includes provisions to strengthen pay, health care coverage, and retirement benefits. Wholestone Farms is one of the region’s largest pork processing facilities and this contract sets a powerful precedent for other Nebraska workers in the industry.

The three-year contract includes:

• First-ever paid sick leave provided by the company in historic win for workers.
  
  
• Pay increases of $2.85 per hour in recognition of extraordinary service in pandemic.
  
  
• Health care coverage strengthened as part of commitment to employees and families.
   
• Retirement plan strengthened by increased contribution from company.
   
• Worksite resources with visits from union stewards to help with any safety questions.
  
  
• Higher night shift pay for workers who take on evening shifts to support production.
  
  
• Overtime pay enhanced to recognize employees working beyond scheduled shifts.

“With this new contract, Nebraska meatpacking workers are sending a powerful message that every company in the industry must step up and recognize the incredible sacrifices made and danger faced by these frontline workers who helped millions of Americans put food on the table during this health crisis,” said UFCW Local 293 President Eric Reeder in a statement.

“As the union for these Nebraska frontline workers, UFCW Local 293 was proud to stand with our union’s members at Wholestone Farms to secure this robust contract that they have earned and deserve,” Reeder added. “Ensuring these jobs continue to be good Nebraska jobs for working families across our state is the best way for us to thank our essential workers.”

“Helping feed Nebraska families during the pandemic is something that made me proud to go to work throughout this crisis,” said UFCW Local 293 member Claudia Payes, who works at the Wholestone Farms Fremont facility. “With this new paid sick leave in our contract, my co-workers and I will never have to worry about choosing between our health and a paycheck. I’m thankful our union has always had our back and helped us achieve this strong contract that will keep me safe and help me continue to provide for my three kids. Every worker in Nebraska deserves to have a good-paying union job and I am hopeful that this contract will inspire even more workers to stand up for the good pay and benefits they deserve.”

Last week, the UFCW called the Biden Administration vaccine mandate and Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on workplace safety from OSHA an important first step to keeping frontline workers safe. The UFCW also emphasized the need for workers to have a voice in how these policies are implemented.

The UFCW has been a leading national voice for frontline workers during this pandemic. Our union recently negotiated a vaccine mandate at Tyson Foods that resulted in a 96 percent vaccination rate among frontline employees and secured the first national paid leave for meatpacking workers at the company, a historic breakthrough in the industry. The UFCW is urging all CEOs to follow this model as they move to enact the policies announced last week.

Our union was also one of the first groups to call for an OSHA ETS in testimony to Congress at House and Senate hearings, calling this paramount to protecting essential workers in grocery stores and meatpacking plants as COVID-19 health risks have continued.

“America’s frontline food and retail workers have faced extreme health risks throughout the pandemic,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement. “Today’s action from the Biden Administration, while not going far enough, is a critical first step to keep workers safe on the job as COVID-19 dangers continue. As the largest union for frontline essential workers in grocery stores and meatpacking plants, the UFCW has long said that voluntary workplace safety guidance was not enough and that a clear and enforceable standard was vital to hold companies accountable for the safety of their workers.”

“The UFCW is calling on all businesses to negotiate this vaccine requirement with their frontline workers,” Perrone said. “Ensuring that workers have a voice in COVID workplace safety policies is critical to guaranteeing these measures are implemented fairly and build the trust and strong consensus needed for these safeguards to be effective. The brutal truth is that this pandemic is far from over. With more than 70,000 new COVID cases every day, companies must do more to keep workers safe. CEOs should be doing everything they can, including paying for PPE, vaccines, testing, and paid leave to put the health and safety of essential workers first. Workers should not have to use money out of their own pockets to pay for critical PPE like masks. The White House and CEOs must work together to find a better way to cover the cost of masks and other critical PPE, instead of shifting the burden onto essential workers already stretched to the breaking point.”

“As President Biden’s new vaccine policy moves forward, the UFCW will engage the administration and our employers to ensure that essential workers have a strong voice in how this policy is implemented and that paid sick leave is provided so that all workers who get sick can recover,” Perrone added. “The UFCW worked together with Tyson Foods to set a new standard with a vaccine mandate that helped get 96 percent of employees vaccinated and proved what’s possible when we listen to workers and negotiate the implementation of vaccination mandates fairly and responsibly. All companies must follow this model and ensure that their frontline workers have a voice in how this national vaccine mandate is implemented and have access to the critical PPE and support they need as the pandemic continues.”