Workers abuzz about announcement; worry begins

Published 12:00 am Thursday, April 4, 2002

The news of Farmland’s announcement spread among displaced Farmland workers quickly Wednesday.

Thursday, April 04, 2002

The news of Farmland’s announcement spread among displaced Farmland workers quickly Wednesday. With a lot of excitement on one hand, the workers have also started worrying about their future employment status in the new plant. Union leaders pledged to work on the issue.

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In the afternoon, the workers started gathering at the Minnesota Workforce Center in the Skyline Mall to get more information about the company’s announcement that it would rebuild in Albert Lea, as long as its insurance settlement and economic incentives are finalized.

Mike Lee, one of the displaced Farmland employees, headed straight to the Workforce Center after he heard the news in Austin during his field trip for a job-training program he has been taking after the fire.

&uot;It is definitely good news,&uot; he said. &uot;People are getting back to their lives.&uot;

According to a survey by the Workforce Center, about 200 out of 500 displaced workers are still unemployed and living in the area.

Lee said, &uot;Many of them are enrolled in reemployment programs that they can take for a maximum of two years. The decision will make it easier for them to picture a future career plan.&uot;

Lee and others are anxious to know whether seniority in the old plant will be respected under a new contract.

A previous union contract expired in January. It stipulated that seniority would be lost if an employee is out of work at Farmland more than 12 months.

&uot;It does not make sense that we have to start over after working there for years,&uot; Lee said.

Derby Olsen, President of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 6, has already started negotiating with Farmland about the issue.

&uot;The union wants the company to recall workers by seniority,&uot; Olsen said.

The union and the company so far have agreed to temporarily extend the contract on a month-to-month basis. Olsen said that Farmland officials have been communicating with the union in good faith, and he is positive that they will reach common ground.

Olsen will present the issue at a UFCW regional meeting where union leaders from nine Midwest states will gather Thursday.

Union representatives of other Farmland plants in Crete, Neb., and Dennison, Iowa, will be present at the meeting, according to Olsen. He will exchange information about labor conditions with them, and be prepared for a future roundtable with the company.