American Crystal Sugar Company locks out it's workers

[Sunk]

He's your typical left nut.... gotta yell and point fingers to try and intimidate the opposition.

Hmmm... Mine must not be normal then, he gets along with the right one just fine!

 

[CreepyCrawler]

Hmmm... Mine must not be normal then, he gets along with the right one just fine!

hahahaha reading tht is gonna get me through the whole day. tht is funny as hell

 

[killj0y]

unions need to disappear, when Roquette locked out its employees it was because they were getting paid almost 21 dollars an hour, and that was for the grunt work, it was sucking the very life out of the company (although they are a bunch of @sshats) and causing them to raise prices and such. Unions were needed at one time, they are no longer needed.
just wanted to deposit my 2 honey dipped cents into here.

Are you for real! ****ing 21 an hour!? That's ****ing better than what you can hope to get after college lmao. Shit I'd be laughing that Shit up set 21 an hour, I'd be like later union more hours for me! Unions are good where employees are taken advantage of, this is not the case here. Working as a server I wanted a union but none existed, 2.13 an hour and zero ****ing chance of a raise is bullshit, in texas server don't even actually get paychecks at all! It says void on it lol it all goes to taxes, you literally live off of tips. Oh well these asshats need to dump these guys and hire a bunch od unemployed americans for less and everyone is happy! The union can figure their own shit out, at least they got their pride and ideals...etc hope you can eat that though...

 

[greaseyfingers]

Your union,like my former union probably endorsed Obama in 2008,hope it works out better for you then it did me.

Maybe you won't lose every thing you worked for like I did when my union fell apart,and know this,there is life after the union,you'll just be too busy trying to earn enough to survive to enjoy it. Good luck to you and yours.

Lockout puts sugar program in jeopardy

Anyone involved with growing sugar beets, producing sugar or bringing the product to market knows the importance of the federal government’s sugar program. The program puts a limit on how much sugar is imported to the U.S. It has created a fair market for Red River Valley sugar beet growers to earn a living, and it created good-paying jobs in the production facilities for many decades.

Now, American Crystal Sugar’s lockout of 1,300 workers and their families is putting the entire sugar program at risk. An agricultural bill backed by Democratic Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Republican Sens. Richard Lugar of Indiana and John Thune of South Dakota would eliminate the sugar program entirely and is gaining serious momentum in Congress.

In the past, attempts to eliminate the sugar program have been stopped because the sugar industry worked with organized labor. Labor-friendly members of Congress without sugar beet farms in their districts or states supported the program in previous years because of the once-positive labor relations at companies such as American Crystal.

But with American Crystal’s recent treatment of union workers, it’s going to be extremely difficult for organized labor to get behind the sugar program once again. Labor-friendly members of Congress from non-sugar producing areas also will have a hard time supporting an industry that is treating workers as poorly as American Crystal is right now.

It’s time to face facts. Without the sugar program in place, Red River Valley beet sugar no longer will be able to compete with cheap imports. Even if American Crystal cut its labor costs to zero, imports still would be cheaper.

But the sugar program still can be saved. American Crystal should end this divisive lockout and work with the union on negotiating a contract that ensures job security for workers, continued profitability for the company and prosperity for the region.

If American Crystal can end its campaign against its workers, I know we can work together to ensure the sugar program continues for generations to come.

Together, the workers, company and growers have helped to build the local economy, support families, and made communities flourish. Now, American Crystal has put all of this in jeopardy by locking out workers.

Sign a petition at this website,
http://act.aflcio.org/c/174/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=2567, telling CEO Dave Berg: Don’t turn your back on the conpany's local community! Petiton will be delivered to American Crystal Sugar CEO Dave Berg

 

[gribly]

Did/do you have anything to do with this union? Your posts look awfully suspicious. If it wasn't for the 242 posts and the rep I'd assume you were some kind of spammer.

 

[greaseyfingers]

Did/do you have anything to do with this union? Your posts look awfully suspicious. If it wasn't for the 242 posts and the rep I'd assume you were some kind of spammer.

I'm just a local citizen and sugar worker trying to help inform the general public, as to what the issues and concerns are that the sugar industry is facing by locking out it's union workers.

You can also help out these locked out sugar workers by signing their website petition, if you want to be supportive of their cause.

 

[wrecking-crew]

Why did they lock out the workers? I don't remember reading that anywhere.

 

[v8nick]

There are a lot of misconceptions about unions. So first off i will say, yes I am a union member, so flame away if you must. Labor unions brought you the labor laws that protect you and I today. They also brought you a standard 40 hour work week and overtime pay. Oh and a holiday too, that I don't get paid for. Are unions needed today? Yes and No. Like I said I am a member, but I see where the unions have hurt themselves. The fact is that even non union plants pay decent wages, but some only do because of the very threat of a union. And just so we get this straight, I am a union drywall finisher. I have worked both sides of the fence. I will take the union any day. However I don't think teachers, sports players, or any government employee for that matter needs a union. Let me give you a few facts about my union. First off, we get NO paid holidays. This is the first year in 5 years that i have seen a raise on my check. Yes we did get raises, but they had to be allocated to cover the ever rising cost of health insurance and retirement. Oh and our insurance, its a joke. We also don't get paid vacations. And my local union, is the second lowest paid union in the state of Missouri. And this B.S. about getting raises for nothing, sorry we don't do that either. You have to go to school. You have to do your homework. Only your first raise is guaranteed, after that it's up to you, and the journeyman that evaluates you. Yes once you graduate the apprenticeship program, you make the same as everyone else. But here's the catch, if you don't work and produce you go home. You don't stand around. I am a foreman for the company that I work for. We don't put up with slackers at all. You don't work, you won't work. period. I must say this, if you are in the construction industry, yes unions are needed. Not only do the unions keep wages up for us, but for nonunion guys as well. I'm sorry but I'm not going to finish drywall for $10 an hour or less. I can work at Walmart and make that and not have to deal with the health hazards that I deal with on a daily basis. So flame away if you must. But really only 18% of the work force is union, does it really piss the other 82% off that much that we can't have our unions? And why can't we work under a collective bargaining agreement? Would you just rather work for something you are promised that can be taken away at anytime, or would you rather work for something that is guranteed in writing for a set period of time?

 

[v8nick]

BTW, not only are all of the employees of the company that I work for union, so are the company owners. Even they see the importance and relevance of being union. And just so you know, some work that we bid on can only be bid on by union contractors, as required by the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

 

[Will]

What I want to know is--where is Hoffa's body? I heard it was in a 55-gallon drum sunk in the Everglades.

 

[killj0y]

Yea stop complaining most if the country's labor force doesn't get holidays boo hoo. and pay? These days if your making anything more than minimum wage your off to a good start, if you get ANY benefits congratulations! Seriously were in a recession sh%t is bad. If you have time to complain you aren't working nearly as hard as most of the country, that is if you have the privilege to work these days. Quit complaining and work, if your higher wages causes the system to collapse, guess what....not only do you not get good pay, you get no pay!!!! So suck it up and get to work!!! Seriously I barely have time to sleep, and there is people who have time to complain...reminds me of teens these days whining that their job and pay suck but they make no effort to improve their situation. Stop blaming everything, that included the usual too, immigration, taxes, and all that stuff, make yourself indispensable and you won't have to complain. It's simple effin economics, supply and demand. If there are 1000 people ready, willing, and able to do your job, obviously your lucky to be employed period. I know veterans, people with masters and doctorates degrees, and years of experience and they are sucking it up and doing something about not being employed, or just getting a better job. The day your job becomes undesirable, truly hard (not just in the physical sense), or just plain hard to find candidates for then Bitch about crappy pay. Otherwise pay attention and find a way to be better. There are starving people, and I mean truly starving people in this country, consider yourself lucky...

 

[killj0y]

Sorry for the rant, just tired of all this crap

 

[killj0y]

Talk trucks, talk tech, or talk sh%t otherwise post this in a political forum. The guys here are red blooded americans, legit, if they wanted to hear about politics they'd watch cspan. Ask for an opinion not a vote, or go home. Ok rant over for reals

 

[killj0y]

For the record I work 60+ hours a week I wish I had time to worry about this stuff AND work on my truck! But my truck, family and job come first!

 

[straycat]

What I want to know is--where is Hoffa's body? I heard it was in a 55-gallon drum sunk in the Everglades.

Hoffa's body is buried beneath a stack of sugar.....lol