UFCW Approves Contract with Morrell

Warren Baker, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1142 said his membership ratified a new 54-month contract with John Morrell & Co. on Sunday. Seventy-five percent voted in favor of the offer, Baker said.

The local represents more than 900 hourly workers at John Morrell's Sioux City meatpacking plant who will get a $1.50-an-hour raise over the life of the contract and have no increase in the cost of their health insurance in the first year.

The 4.5-year contract begins Jan. 1, when the current contract expires, Baker said.

"There were no major changes," Baker said, citing the pay increase and cost of health insurance as the "big issues." He said that the local has typically received raises of just $1.20 per hour over its previous 4- to 5-year contracts.

"There were some changes in the layoff language," Baker added, noting UFCW members at Morrell went through a large layoff in February; many workers have been brought back since then, he said. "There were a few things we hammered out in the language about how they'll be handled in the future.

"We've been in negotiations since late October," Baker said. "I think we did all right. The members seemed very pleased."