Saying locked-out workers at the American Crystal Sugar Co. want to work and negotiate a fair contract, the local union president urged the company to come back to the bargaining table.
Some 1,300 American Crystal employees were locked out in three states Aug. 1 after the workers, members of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 167G, rejected the company’s final offer by a more than nine-to-one margin.
Writing on the INFORUM website, Local 167G President John Riskey says management could stop this lockout immediately.
Union workers have never threatened a work stoppage. All we have asked is to keep working while we negotiate a contract that benefits the company, workers, farmers and the community.
Although the company has proposed wage increases, it also wants workers to pay more for health care insurance, which would negate the wage increases, says Riskey.
The longer the lockout lasts, he says, the worse it is for the local communities that depend on the plants. Read the full column here.
The lockout isn’t just hurting our families, it’s also hurting our local economy and this company’s standing in the community. We want to get back to work and back to the negotiating table.
American Crystal reportedly has hired replacement workers at its seven plants in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa. Contract negotiations to replace a seven-year contract began in May. The union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against American Crystal, claiming the company has not bargained in good faith.
