Workers at a St. Albans dairy plant went on strike Friday amid contract disputes with their employer Dairy Farmers of America.
The workers are members of Vermont Teamsters Local 597. According to Curtis Clough, president of Local 597, negotiations took a shift on Thursday when the dairy conglomerate started to “dig in” on every provision.
The union is demanding DFA eliminate 12-hour shifts, which Clough said can extend into longer shifts combined with mandatory overtime.
Union members are also asking for a cost of living wage increase and larger contributions to their retirement and health insurance plans.
Dairy Farmers of America wrote in a statement that the company has been “actively negotiating in good faith” with the union. Officials expressed disappointment that the union initiated a strike.
“While we respect their right to take this step, we believe a strike does not serve the best interests of our employees, our customers, or the communities we serve,” wrote DFA spokesperson Kim O’Brien. “We are committed to a respectful, constructive bargaining process that offers competitive wages and benefits.”
Both sides are still negotiating during the strike, Clough said.
“The company is a brutal company to work for. 24/7 operations, no holidays off,” Clough said. "It's a tough place. They have trouble getting and keeping employees. We think that a fair contract is not only what our members deserve, but what needs to happen in order to make this a decent place to work.”
According to Clough, the company brought in temporary workers without notifying the union, which he said violates the union contract.
DFA’s St. Albans facility manufactures cream for products of Vermont vendors like Ben and Jerry’s, Cabot, Kate’s Butter and more.
As one of the only processing plants in the Northeast, Clough said, the strike might affect these companies significantly. As of Friday morning, trailers full of milk and cream were dumped because the company did not have the ability to process these products, he said.
In an email to Vermont Public, O’Brien said the company’s focus is to work with the union on a solution, but the union decided to strike and in doing so, “compromised the farmers in this community having a place to send their milk.”
The company said it’s “taking steps to minimize disruption” for customers.
