Agreement Raises Living and Working Standards for UFCW Members

A new contract covering 2,400 Smithfield/John Morrell workers in Sioux Falls, S.D. raises living standards for meatpacking workers and their families. The contract negotiated by union members of UFCW Local 304A provides solid wage increases, keeps health care affordable and maintains retirement security.

The new four-year contract:

• Provides wage increases of $1.45 over four years, immediately increasing base-wage rates to $13.30 an hour;
• Improves funeral/bereavement pay;
• Improves the progression for new hires. New hires’ pay will increase in increments every three months—meaning that new hires will make more money faster;
• Increases the pay grade of several jobs to higher, better paid grades;
• Keeps health care coverage affordable with low weekly contributions, but increased coverage on certain prescription drugs.

The Sioux Falls contract is the latest of several major collective bargaining wins for UFCW packing and food processing members. Workers in Sioux Falls took part in a unity bargaining effort with more than 10,000 other workers at 12 other UFCW local unions that are bargaining or have recently settled new contracts with Smithfield. Workers took coordinated and unified worksite actions over the last year to send a strong message to Smithfield that UFCW members are willing to stick together for contracts that raise working conditions and living standards for meatpacking workers across the industry.

This unity bargaining has produced the best contracts in the pork industry and is changing the lives of workers.