Cargill employees stage walk out in Nebraska

A group of employees at a Cargill beef processing plant in Schuyler, NE staged a walk out on May 1. Mike Martin, director of communications for Cargill told WLJ there was a, “brief unauthorized work stoppage on the first shift.” He said the workers’ point of contention was related to wage rate differentials on each shift, which he noted is a common practice across many industries. “Hourly employees work under a collective bargaining agreement negotiated between Cargill and the United Food and Commercial Workers union,” Martin said. He added that the second shift on Tuesday operated normally.” Because of the walk out, some cattle trucks were turned away and animals were returned to feedlots. Cargill’s Schuyler facility produces boxed beef, ground beef and beef by-products with a harvest capacity of at least 5,000 head-per-day. — WLJ