Teamsters Local 455 in Fort Morgan, Colo., has filed unfair labor practice charges against Cargill after the company cut off workers’ access to pay and benefits. The charges come as the company continues to keep more than 1,700 Teamsters locked out of the Fort Morgan beef processing facility.
The labor dispute remains unresolved following a lockout that began on May 20. Despite ongoing negotiations between Cargill and Teamsters Local 455, a new contract agreement has not yet been reached. The Fort Morgan plant has not been harvesting since April 23 due to these ongoing labor negotiations and the concern of a potential work stoppage.
“A lockout was not the outcome Cargill wanted, but after months of bargaining and continued uncertainty around the union’s threatened work stoppage, we made the difficult decision to lockout to ensure facility, employee and food safety,” says a Cargill spokesperson.
“Cargill is hurting working families in Fort Morgan by illegally cutting benefits and refusing to pay its own workforce after now locking them out for multiple weeks,” says Dean Modecker, Teamsters Local 455 secretary-treasurer. “These charges make clear that Cargill cannot ignore the law. It’s time for the company to stop stalling and return to the bargaining table.”
According to the spokesperson, Cargill remains active in and willing to negotiate in good faith. “We remain committed to reaching a sustainable agreement with the union.”
The latest back and forth between the union and Cargill representatives was Monday, June 8.
According to Teamsters, Cargill has recently faced scrutiny, including antitrust lawsuits involving some of the nation’s largest meat companies. The Teamsters Food Processing Division is looking into possible antitrust issues tied to the company’s conduct. The union says this is one more sign that Cargill is putting profits ahead of people.
In December, Cargill hosted a ribbon-cutting for its 81-apartment complex for Fort Morgan employees. The company invested in a $40 million workforce housing initiative, which includes 27 townhomes and the 81-unit apartment complex.
“The beef cartel, comprised of Cargill, Tyson and a couple other companies, have already been sued for violating antitrust laws for price fixing and ripping off consumers,” says Jesse Case, director of the Teamsters Food Processing Division. “Now they’re conspiring to fix labor rates. These large meat packers are monopolies that need to be broken up if they can’t recommit to the communities that helped make them successful.”
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