Union members at Crystal Sugar reject contract offer
Minneapolis, MN – On July 26, workers at Crystal Sugar in Minnesota and North Dakota voted to reject the latest offer from management in bargaining for their next union contract. The workers are members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM).
The employers offer included a 17% raise over four years and a $1000 bonus. However, the workers felt that with quickly rising costs they deserve better and voted by what the union is calling an overwhelming majority to reject the contract offer. This rejected contract offer comes after ten days of bargaining by the union and employer.
This same group of BCTGM members were locked out of work by their employer, Crystal Sugar, for over 22 months starting in 2011 and ending in 2013 when they rejected the employers last best and final offer in that round of negotiations.
The current union contract was set to expire on July 31 but the union and employer have agreed to a contract extension which means that the new expiration date will be September 15. At this point neither the union nor the employer is signaling that a strike or lockout is imminent, but the union will continue to fight for a better offer after the workers voted to reject what was on the table now.