‘We deserve better’: Teamsters host strike rally at Cargill plant in Cedar Rapids

Local 238 representatives say issues with Cargill center on wages, ‘respect’

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Vicki Lee, a 14-year Cargill employee, raises her arm in solidarity Oct. 10, 2024 during a rally hosted by Teamsters Local 238, who have been on strike against the Cargill corn milling plant in southeast Cedar Rapids since Oct. 1. CREDIT RICHARD PRATT

Amid raucous rallying chants such as “when we fight, we win,” members of Teamsters Local 238 gathered with a large crowd of supporters and other area union members Thursday outside the Cargill corn milling plant in southeast Cedar Rapids for a rally supporting the union’s strike against Cargill, which is now in its second week.

“We’re going to be out here as long as it takes to get what’s right, what’s fair and what’s just,” said Scott Punteney, business agent for Local 238.

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.

Teamsters union organizer Sami 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 Oct. 1 at 6:30 p.m., and plan to maintain a picket line outside the plant around the clock until a new agreement is ratified.

Mr. Scheetz said the union’s differences with Cargill are based on two factors – wages and “respect” from Cargill management.

Joe Kirchhoff, chief steward for Teamsters Local 238, said he’s worked at Cargill for 18 years, said he feels that the company has changed in recent years.

“We’ve gone from a place where employees were treated like human beings, to a place where we’re just numbers on a spreadsheet,” Mr. Kirchhoff said.

He pointed to Cargill employees’ efforts on the company’s behalf to establish a new railyard in the Rompot neighborhood near the plant, over the vocal objections of neighborhood residents. He said the railyard is saving the company hundreds of thousands per month.

“That’s our work, that’s our contribution to this company’s success,” he said. “But when it comes time for us to see the benefits of our hard work, what are we given? Pennies.”

A federal mediator was brought in this week to facilitate negotiations between Cargill and the Teamsters Local 238 union, but union leaders say they had “no offer” from Cargill to resolve the strike during a joint meeting Wednesday.

Rick Moyle, executive director of the Hawkeye Labor Council, also noted that Cargill workers remained on the job during some of the most challenging periods of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Turns out, when you tag a group of workers as essential to your community, you need to also realize how essential they are after they pull your company through a pandemic and many other hardships,” Mr. Moyle said.

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Union members march Oct. 10, 2024 after a strike rally by Teamsters Local 238, which has been on strike against the Cargill corn milling plant in southeast Cedar Rapids since Oct. 1. CREDIT RICHARD PRATT

Union representatives maintain that workers at the Cargill corn milling plant at 705 16th St. SE earn an hourly wage far below not only that of other corn processing plants in the Cedar Rapids area, but below other Cargill plants in Cedar Rapids as well.

“The strike isn’t just about money,” Mr. Kirchhoff said. “It’s about respect. It’s about being treated like human beings who keep this place running, not pawns just to be moved around. We’re out here because we deserve better, and we’re not backing down until we get it.”

Jesse Case, secretary-treasurer of Local 238, said six major companies, including Cargill, comprise a “corn cartel” that dominates the world corn market, and employees of a number of those companies have been on strike in recent years.

“We’ve got billionaires pushing around nickels and dimes,” Mr. Case said. “And it’s scary to be on strike. It’s not fun … we just want to know today, how long are we going to be out here? We’ll come to the table and negotiate. We’re always looking for resolution. But if they think they’re going to starve us out, they’re wrong.”

“The message we have to Cargill is, come back to the table with a serious offer,” he added. “You’ve got the money, you’ve got the power, and the only way to balance that out is to shut this plant down and demand what we deserve. We’re that far apart. We can get it done tomorrow.”

For its part, 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 also said “the plant is still operating business as usual,” but didn’t specify who was working at the facility.