By SDCN Staff
WASHINGTON–Teamsters held practice pickets at Dairy Farmers of America facilities in Englewood, Colorado, Milwaukee, Salt Lake City, and throughout Southern California to demand that the employer come to terms on 19 collective bargaining agreements set to expire May 5.
Dairy Farmers of America, comprising nearly 10,000 family farmers across the country, is the largest dairy co-operative in North America, according to the union.
“We demand a fair national standard at DFA. Our members work hard and deserve strong contracts that protect workers and reflect the crucial role they play in the supply chain,” said Lou Villalvazo, Chairman of the Dairy Farmers of America Teamsters National Negotiating Committee and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 630.
Teamsters are demanding higher wages, improved health care and retirement benefits, protections against job loss caused by automation, and a common expiration date for about 2,000 workers covered by the contracts.
After May 5, the union can immediately call for a work stoppage at any one of the 35 DFA locations still in bargaining.
