Representatives of Teamsters Local 238 in Cedar Rapids are warning of the possibility of a strike against Cargill in Cedar Rapids, after the company’s contract with the Teamsters expired at midnight Monday.
“Negotiations between Teamsters Local 238 and Cargill have reached a critical point, with the company refusing to meet the fair and just demands of its workers,” said Scott Punteney, business agent for Teamsters Local 238, in a statement.
The Teamsters union represents about 100 workers at Cargill, Mr. Punteney said.
“With the potential for a strike looming, the union remains hopeful that Cargill will bargain in good faith and avoid disrupting operations,” he added.
Teamsters union organizer Sami Scheetz said that while the union workers’ plans haven’t yet been set, “workers will determine when is the most strategic time to strike.”
“Cargill is still in negotiations with the union representing the Cedar Rapids Corn Milling union employees,” Cargill spokesperson Kelly Sheehan said. “The facility is operating business as usual.”
Cargill workers in Cedar Rapids also went on strike in October 2007 after rejecting a contract offer from the company, citing job-security issues. That strike was resolved after about two weeks with the approval of a new three-year contract.
The company has three manufacturing plants in Cedar Rapids, and as of 2019 reported about 600 full-time employees and 200 contract workers at those plants. It’s had operations in Cedar Rapids since 1968.
Based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Cargill has more than 160,000 employees in the United States and 70 other countries. The company provides food, ingredients, agricultural solutions and industrial products. It is the largest privately-held company in the United States, according to Forbes, reporting $177 billion in revenue in 2023.
