HOOPESTON, Ill. (WCIA) — Employees in Hoopeston are demanding to be acknowledged. On Monday, numerous workers gathered outside Teasdale Latin Foods, showcasing strike signs.
Approximately 30 production workers at Teasdale Latin Foods, a canning company, are dissatisfied with their contracts. The workers have been getting ready to strike for nearly a month and are determined to hold out until their concerns are addressed.
They started June 1 and on Monday morning they went back at it.
“If they had negotiated and resolved the issues—there are a couple of specific matters—then we wouldn’t be on strike today,” said employee Ernest Hurt.
Hurt is one of many people who are frustrated with the way their contract negotiations are going.
“I’m just speaking for the ones that got years in here, and they’re trying to take away the benefits that they’ve already earned. And that’s being disrespectful to them. And it’s a good slap in the face,” Hurt said.
He said the company wants to take away their hours, personal days and change their point systems. Employees work 12 hour shifts four days a week. But the company wants to change that to eight hours shifts five days a week.
But Hurt said people want to be on a set schedule, and many enjoyed having Fridays off.
“Lots of proposals that have gone back and forth inside the contracts, doing things with personal days and converting them to other time off types, is part of what’s being talked about. But the reality is nothing’s being taken away from people,” Chris Tackett, Chief HR Officer said.
Tackett said they’ve been trying to find a middle ground since last year.
“We hope, as they consider what was put on the table, that they will reconsider that, and we can get back to work,” Tackett said.
He wouldn’t go into detail about the actual contract, but said they are working with the employees.
“Only thing we want is Teasdale to come to the board and talk to our union members and get this negotiated so we can go back to work as soon as possible,” Hurt said.
Most employees said they’re satisfied with their wages. The biggest thing they’re upset about is the scheduling. Workers said in the new contract employees will have to work more hours to obtain three personal days off — instead of getting them at the beginning of the start date.
