The month-long Teamsters Local 238 strike against the Cargill corn milling plant in southeast Cedar Rapids has been resolved, leaders from the union and the company announced Oct. 31.
Teamsters representatives said the agreement was reached Thursday afternoon “following a successful negotiation that resulted in a new agreement meeting the needs of both the workers and the company.”
“The new agreement reflects necessary compromise but ultimately brings positive terms that will strengthen both Cargill’s workforce and its relationship with the community,” union representatives said in a release.
Union workers were planning to return to work at 7 p.m. Thursday, union organizer Sami Scheetz said.
Details of the agreement were not disclosed. A federal mediator was brought in earlier this month to facilitate negotiations between Cargill and the union.
“The parties came together seeking mutual resolution that resulted in a win-win,” said Jesse Case, principal officer of Teamsters Local 238. “We look forward to restoring and continuing to build a cooperative relationship with Cargill as we all move forward together.”
“We are pleased to have our employees back to work to help us continue to safely service our customers,” Cargill Cedar Rapids corn milling facility manager Dan Pulis said in a release.
The settlement comes just as Cargill had told workers earlier this week that their health insurance benefits would be cut off as of Oct. 31.
Teamsters Local 238 members voted Oct. 1 to authorize the strike after the company’s three-year contract with the union expired at midnight Sept. 30 without a new contract in place.
Teamsters union organizer Sami Scheetz said that about 100 workers at the corn milling plant were participating in the strike, and that “a vast majority” of those workers voted at a union meeting Oct. 1 to reject a contract offer from Cargill.
Picketers began marching outside the plant, at 705 16th St. SE, on Oct. 1, and supporters joined Teamsters Local 238 members Oct. 11 for a rally supporting the union’s strike against Cargill.
When the strike began, Mr. Scheetz said the union’s differences with Cargill were based on two factors – wages and “respect” from Cargill management.
