Hormel, Union Workers Reach Tentative Agreement; Vote Set for Oct. 9

Oct. 9, 2023

After extending the previous contract into October to avoid a strike, the two sides produced a solution prior to the new October 8 deadline to keep the Austin, Minn., plant running.

Andy Hanacek

Hormel Foods Corp. and the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663 have reached a tentative contract agreement for some 1,700 workers at the company’s Austin, Minn., plant, that was expected to be voted on by the union members today, according to local news reports and an announcement published by UFCW.

The UFCW statement says the union unanimously recommends the agreement, and Hormel told local news outlets it was pleased to have reached the four-year tentative agreement with the workers and hopeful that the contract would be ratified this week.

The union had rejected a contract proposal set forth in mid- to late September, but a strike was averted when both sides agreed to extend the prior contract expiration to Oct. 8. The contract would cover Hormel’s Austin plant as well as plants in Beloit, Wis., Algona, Iowa, and Atlanta, who all participated in the bargaining process.

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.