Union members at a B&G Foods plant in the US have voted to authorise strike action at the facility.
In a statement issued yesterday (23 March), Teamsters Local 120 said workers represented by the union at the site in Stoughton, Wisconsin, supported potential work stoppages for “fair wages, affordable health care, and improved working conditions”. The union described the plant as an “understaffed facility”.
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Teamsters Local 120 represents more than 15,000 workers across Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Alongside pay and benefits, the workers are seeking stronger contract protections, including “successorship” language that would require any future owner of the facility to honour the existing collective bargaining agreement in the event of a sale.
In addition, the union said workers want “protections around automation” to ensure introduction of new systems do not lead to job losses.
The Stoughton plant manufactures a number of B&G Foods products, including Cream of Wheat cereal, Skinnygirl salad dressing and Ortega taco sauce.
Teamsters Local 120 business agent Shaun Mullikin said: “B&G Foods is taking advantage of a workforce that keeps its Stoughton operation running.
“Meanwhile, workers are dealing with long hours and rising costs, while the company refuses to make basic improvements. Fair pay, decent health care and reasonable hours shouldn’t be a fight – but, right now, they are.”
Just Food has contacted B&G Foods for comment and has asked Teamsters Local 120 for further details on the timing of any strike action and the vote.
Headquartered in New Jersey, B&G Foods produces and distributes shelf-stable and frozen foods across the US.
The company has recently been reshaping its portfolio, including selling another Green Giant asset to Seneca Foods.
It also acquired Del Monte Foods’ broth and stock brands this year for around $110m in cash.
