After multiple bargaining sessions, workers in the beef and poultry departments at Palisades Ranch in Vernon, Calif., voted to approve a three-year contract last month. The UFCW Local 770 represents 100 workers at the plant who are employed as saw operators, beef and poultry cutters, meat trimmers, process order selectors, operators, beef and poultry packers, and sanitation staff.
Workers won significant improvements, including:
- Average first-year wage increases of approximately $2.39 per hour, plus retroactive pay
- $4.39 average pay increase per member over three years.
- Additional $1.00 per hour wage increases in the second and three years
- New shift differentials and lead premiums
- Improved vacation and sick leave benefits
- Increased employer healthcare contributions
- Strong protections in a new skill-level wage structure
- Improved bereavement leave
- Preservation of break protections for employees working overtime
These wins were hard-earned. The company claimed it had reached its limit on wages and demanded concessions that would have eliminated additional break time for workers putting in overtime hours. The bargaining committee took the company’s proposal back to the membership, and workers overwhelmingly rejected it.
That vote sent a clear message: Palisades Ranch workers were organized, engaged, and determined to win a better agreement.
“When the company said this was the best they could do, we stood together and voted no. That solidarity brought them back to the table and helped us win better wages, stronger benefits, and protect our break time,” said UFCW Local 770 member Luis Torres. “This contract shows the power of a union and what workers can accomplish when we stay united and fight for what we deserve.”