Cargill employees in Hazle Twp. OK three-year pact
Apr. 16—Some 800 union production and maintenance employees at Cargill Meat Solutions in the Humboldt Industrial Park approved a three-year contract with base pay and hourly wage increases last month.
The workers at the Hazleton plant, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776, ratified the pact that increases the base pay to $18.05 an hour — a $2.50 an hour jump, the company and union said in joint release last week.
"Throughout COVID-19, we — both Cargill and the union — mutually adapted to this fluid COVID environment to allow for important dialogue that fostered solutions that recognize the hard work of our members in keeping their communities nourished and fed," said Wendell Young IV, union president.
"Additionally, our mutual effort provided for shared goals to navigate these new challenges, together," he said.
Cargill, a destination employer, values its employees and is proud to make these investments in people committed to putting food on the tables of the communities where they work, said Tanya Teeter, vice president of labor relations for Cargill's Protein Division.
In addition to the increased wage rate, the new agreement grants greater protections, including an approved immigration leave and a cap on the number of hours an employee can work in a given week, providing for additional safety on the job.
"We're very proud of this agreement," Young said, "Which includes important leave provisions that allow members excused time to pursue their American dream and attend necessary appointments to become U.S. citizens."
Cargill also agreed to continue to fund an employer-sponsored primary care facility, administered by Marathon Health, that provides convenient access to care and preventative health screenings, education and tools. This benefit is exclusive to Cargill employees and their families.
Marathon Health is a Vermont firm that specializes in controlling health care costs for large employers such as Cargill, and was granted approval for an employee medical facility at the Franklin Corporate Center in Hazle Twp. in 2017.
"The Marathon Health clinic is an important benefit to our members, who continue to have access to high-quality medical care and preventative screenings at a location convenient to their workplace and homes," Young said.
Cargill employee Rachel Solis said they are proud of the agreement that provides competitive wages that benefit their families and communities.
The union represents members in the grocery, retail, food manufacturing and health care industries in Pennsylvania and the Ohio and Hudson valleys. In the Hazleton area, workers at Hershey, Citterio USA and Mission Foods are represented by UFCW Local 1776.
Cargill's new base wage rate reflects how competitive the Greater Hazleton market is and unionized employers have demonstrated their commitment to offer both competitive wages and benefits, Young said.
Cargill employs 155,000 people in 70 countries, and is one of the largest employers in the Hazleton area producing ground beef, whole beef and pork products that are sold in grocery stores nationwide.
Contact the writer: kmonitz@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3589
