Meatpacking workers and supporters rally in South St. Paul

[billyoc]

SOUTH ST. PAUL - History is repeating itself in the stockyards of South St. Paul. Rallying outside the Dakota Premium meat packing plant, the notoriously anti-union company's workers and their supporters demanded Dakota Premium abandon its stall tactics and negotiate in good faith with members of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 789.

"We want to negotiate a new contract," Rebecca Williamson, a worker at the plant, told the crowd of about 50 that gathered Wednesday. "We want an end to harassment of union supporters on the job, which we know has been going on and we know is still going on."

Williamson and other workers at the plant report that since their previous contract expired July 1, Dakota Premium has been in no hurry to secure a new one. Management has hindered negotiations, they say, by refusing to allow members of the union's negotiating committee to leave work early – at no cost to the company – and participate in talks.

Dakota Premium "will not negotiate during the day," Local 789 President Don Seaquist said. "After working 10-hour days, they expect workers to sit down and negotiate a contract."

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_3294