A tentative four-year agreement has been reached in labor talks between Quality Pork Processors Inc.

Thursday, June 28, 2001

A tentative four-year agreement has been reached in labor talks between Quality Pork Processors Inc. and Local 9 of the United Food and Commercial Workers.

The agreement, reached at about midnight on Tuesday, came following two days of intense bargaining, according to John Morrison, business representative for Local 9.

While QPP’s final offer proposing the base wage be increased $1.05 during the term of the new contract was overwhelmingly rejected by union membership last week, the agreement reached Tuesday adds an additional 25 cents per hour.

Local 9’s QPP bargaining committee is recommending the new package to its membership. It includes an increase in the base wage from the current level of $10.20 an hour to $11.50 an hour during the agreement. Other significant improvements are included in the package, too, according to Morrison.

The QPP contract was to be presented to union members in meetings at the Austin Labor Center today. A ratification vote will be conducted Friday.

"The committee expects it to be ratified," Morrison said this morning.

Union members have been working without a contract since June 20, when the old contract expired. The old contract was extended on a day-to-day basis. Contract talks have been on-going for two months.

QPP is Austin’s second largest employer. It operates from leased facilities adjoining the Hormel Foods Corp. plant. Kelly Wadding, QPP’s president and chief executive officer, was unavailable for comment today.

Call Chuck Gysi at 434-2230 or e-mail him at chuck.gysi@austindailyherald.com.