Posts Categorized: Food Processing

Members of UFCW Local 663 who work at Tony Downs Foods in Madelia, Minn., recently ratified a new contract that provides higher wages, better health benefits, a more secure retirement plan, and worker protections for more than 300 food processing employees. Tony Downs Foods is the largest employer in the area.

“I’m happy for the raises we were able to get as a union. I’ve worked nonunion jobs before and have come back to Tony Downs because it’s a union company that supports the community with good jobs,” said William Castro, a forklift operator who has worked at Tony Downs Foods for 15 years.

The four-year contract represents a big economic win for families in Madelia and the surrounding area. Over the life of the contract, workers will receive a total of a 12 percent increase in base pay and 401(k) contributions combined. The contract will be active from October 1, 2019 to September 30, 2023, and union members will receive retroactive pay from October 1,  as well as a sign-on (or ratification) bonus. Other highlights of the contract include increases to the life insurance benefit; better company matching contributions to the 401(k) plan based on eligibility and three-year vesting; and improvements in vacation scheduling that make it easier for our members to achieve the work-life balance their families need.

“I love where I live. My family and I have lived here my whole life and raised my family here. I’m going to retire here. I’m glad that I have the option to not only contribute to my 401(k) but that now my employer is going to contribute, making my retirement options even more secure,” said Jose Cruz Molina, who works second shift maintenance at the plant.

“I congratulate our UFCW union family in Madelia who worked together and secured a great four-year contract for their coworkers at the plant,” said UFCW Local 663 President Matt Utecht. “We work together and have each other’s backs. We know our rights, we stand up for them together, and get them in writing.”

The International’s Food Processing, Packing and Manufacturing (FPPM) Division held a chain meeting on Nov. 18 to 21 in Omaha, Neb., to address ways we can strengthen jobs in the meatpacking and food processing sectors.

More than 200 UFCW staff and members who work in these sectors attended the meeting, which included legal, health and safety, and chemical workers workshops, as well as workshops for members in the food processing, poultry, beef and pork sectors. The meeting also included employer-specific workshops for members who work at Cargill, Smithfield, JBS, Pilgrim’s Pride, Tyson Foods, and Hormel plants.

“I learned a lot from the chain meeting workshops because, these days, a lot is changing with the company’s operations, especially now with automation and line speeds,” said José Guzman, who is a member of UFCW Local 770 and a steward at Farmer John in Vernon, Calif.

“I want to thank Local 2 and the UFCW FPPM Division for the valuable information presented at this year’s FPPM chain meeting,” said José Vasquez, who is a member of UFCW Local 2 and a steward at National Beef in Dodge City, Kan. “The educational workshops allow me to learn more and educate the rest of the stewards at my plant.”