Posts Categorized: Negotiations

Members of UFCW Local 1189 who work at S.B. Foot Tanning Company in Red Wing, Minn., ratified a new agreement on March 28 that improves wages and protects benefits. S.B. Foot Tanning Company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Red Wing Shoes Company, Inc. and is the principal supplier of leather to their shoe manufacturing plants.

The three-year contract includes wage increases for all members and continues the fully employer-paid health care at current benefit levels. The contract also made great strides to strengthen equal pay standards and end the two-tier wage system.

Congratulations to the Union Bargaining Committee for their hard work in protecting benefits, improving wages, and trying to reform the payroll system.

On March 29, about 300 members of UFCW Local 222 at Empirical Foods, Inc. (formerly BPI) in South Sioux City, Neb., ratified a new contract with big wins for workers there.

Thanks to the strength and courage of our members at Local 222, they were able to achieve a new four-year contract that ensures the hard-working women and men at Empirical Foods receive the pay increases they’ve earned and can take time off (up to 52 weeks) when they need to take care of a sick or injured service member. The new contract also provides workers up to 90 days to return to work with renewed work authorizations without loss of seniority, a significant improvement from the previous contract.

“This is an unbelievable contract. I never thought we could accomplish all these changes,” said Kimberly Orellana, who served as a member of the bargaining committee. “My coworkers are very happy with the wages and various improvements.”