Negotiations are set to begin Wednesday with a federal mediator regarding the ongoing strike by Teamsters Local 238 against the Cargill corn milling plant in southeast Cedar Rapids, which is now in its second week.
Teamsters union organizer Sami Scheetz said Cargill had “agreed to come to the bargaining table” with a federal mediator in place in an effort to resolve the strike, which centers on union concerns about wages and “respect.”
The Teamsters are also holding a rally to support striking workers at 4 p.m. Thursday at the corn milling plant, 705 16th St. SE. According to a release from the union, “union members, community supporters and elected officials will come together to stand in solidarity with the workers demanding fair wages and respect on the job.”
Teamsters Local 238 members voted Oct. 1 to authorize the strike after the company’s three-year contract with the Teamsters expired at midnight Sept. 30 without a new contract in place.
Mr. Scheetz said that about 100 workers at the corn milling plant are participating in the strike, and that “a vast majority” of those workers voted at a union meeting Oct. 1 to reject the most recent contract offer from Cargill.
Picketers began marching outside the plant since Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m.
Negotiations between the Teamsters and Cargill had been ongoing for “a few weeks” as the end of the existing three-year labor contract drew near, Mr. Scheetz said.
Mr. Scheetz said the union’s decision to strike was based on two key factors.
“It was about wages, and then it was about respect,” Mr. Scheetz said. “Those were the two overriding themes that members mentioned when they decided to vote down the contract. It was about economics and respect from the company, or lack thereof.”
The strike only involves the Cargill corn milling plant and not the other Cargill operations in Cedar Rapids, Mr. Scheetz said, noting that he’s not aware of any strikes against Cargill elsewhere in the United States.
A Cargill spokesperson provided the following statement shortly after the strike began:
“After unresolved discussions with the Teamsters Union Local 238 Negotiating Committee, union employees at the Cargill Corn Milling facility have decided to strike. We have proposed a fair and competitive package for our employees and are disappointed that we could not come to an agreement with the Union at this time. We are willing and ready to meet with the Union at their request. In the interim, we continue the supply of high-quality products to our customers. We remain optimistic that an agreement can be reached in the near future.”
The Cargill spokesperson said “the plant is still operating business as usual,” but didn’t specify who was working at the facility.