Union controversy at food processing plant sparks debate

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) made the statement following the resolution of a dispute with Plumrose USA over allegations the company had tried to prevent its employees forming a union at its meat processing plant in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The company has denied all accusations.

Notice displayed​

Plumrose was accused of giving workers at the pork and deli meat processing facility the impression that they were under surveillance and that their immigration status would be reported to federal authorities if they tried to unionise. Forbidding workers to discuss the union at work and interrogating employees about union activities were two further charges.

After the involvement of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), Plumrose agreed to the posting of a settlement notice in the plant saying it would not interfere or coerce its workers with respect to their union rights. The notice, signed by Plumrose, also said it would not give the impression employees were under surveillance nor threaten to report their immigration status to authorities because they engaged in union activities.

Plumrose chief operating officer Mike Rozzano told FoodProductionDaily.com that all the allegations were false and the company recognised the right of workers to form a union. He added the NLRB notice was a standard one.

Union debate​

UFCW Senior Campaign Communications Specialist Corey Owens said: “We are optimistic that workers at Plumrose will form a union.”​

He added that moves by food processing companies to stop workers unionizing were “fairly widespread”​ but that there were also companies who were acted in a more positive way.

“Food processing is a business where safety is a huge issue but some employers would prefer that workers do not have a voice,”​ he said. “We believe a unionised workforce is better for employers and the employees. It promotes lower turnover of workers, greater efficiencies and higher productivity because there is a more equal relationship and problems are solved at an earlier stage.”​

But Plumrose head Rozzano disagreed.

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“We do not believe employees need a union to represent them but if workers want to have a union, we will deal with them in good faith,”​ he said.

Rozzano added: “Being unionised makes no difference to a plant’s productivity. It is the way the plant is set up and the union has no bearing on it at all.”​

Plumrose operates two other US processing sites. Its plant in Indiana is unionised, while only the maintenance section at the Council Bluff site currently has formed a union.