More Than 1,600 Hormel Union Workers at Austin Plant to Vote on Final Contract Offer
Hormel Foods’ workers at the company’s legacy Austin, Minn., plant will vote today and tomorrow on a final contract offer from the company, after the union’s most recent contract expired without a renewal in place on Sunday, Sept. 10.
The union, UFCW Local 663, advised the more than 1,600 worker union members at the plant to vote “no” on the final contract, deeming it unsatisfactory, according to local news reports. In a statement, the union cited the “huge sacrifices” made by the meatpacking workers during the Covid-19 pandemic and the “record company profits” Hormel Foods has achieved as its reasoning for demanding better wages and more secure pensions.
On Labor Day, hundreds of Hormel workers and their families marched through the town of Austin to celebrate workers’ rights and demand a fair contract. Hormel’s gross profits reached $2.052 billion over the past 12 months, the news report added.
About the Author
Andy Hanacek
Senior Editor
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.