Vol. 72/No. 3      January 21, 2008

Militant/Carlos Samaniego

UFCW Local 789 members leaflet January 8 outside Dakota Premium Foods.

The National Labor Relations Board approved holding the election after a company-backed petition was circulated at the plant in early June 2007. This occurred when the first UFCW contract at Dakota had expired and negotiations for a new one were taking place.

Some of the workers at the plant today were part of the two-year-long fight to win the union, which began with a sit-down strike in the cafeteria on June 1, 2000, and finally compelled the bosses to recognize the UFCW. Some of these workers, together with others newer at the company, have been working with Local 789 staff members to explain to coworkers the need to fight to keep the union at the plant.

Some have helped produce issues of The Workers Voice, a newsletter in support of the union that has helped expose the poor working conditions on the job and antiunion lies spread by the company.

As Local 789 officials and pro-union workers passed out flyers with the announcement of the election date, union organizer Jenny Shegos said one worker told her that “he couldn’t understand how anybody would want to vote against the union.” She also noted that “some workers saw not only this fight, but were looking to the next one, which is to get a new contract.”

A number of workers told the union campaigners they would be voting for the union and were telling others to do the same. Among the issues workers point to as reasons to support the union were the high rate of injuries on the job, the fast line speed, and company harassment, especially of pro-union workers.

Carlos Samaniego is a member of UFCW Local 789 and works at Dakota Premium Foods.
 
 
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