Teamsters Strike at AMPI Dairy Over Unfair Labor Practices in Minnesota

The Facts -

AMPI Workers Strike for Fair Labor Practices Amid Year-Long Negotiations

Contact Information: Matt McQuaid, Phone: (771) 241-0015, Email: mmcquaid@teamster.org

(PAYNESVILLE, Minn.) – In a dispute that has been brewing for nearly a year, members of Teamsters Local 471 at AMPI Dairy find themselves on the picket line. The strike comes after the company allegedly ignored calls for fair labor practices, failing to deliver a comprehensive proposal that meets worker demands, according to union representatives. AMPI Dairy plays a key role in the Midwest cheese supply chain.

“AMPI has had more than enough time to do right by these workers, but instead they’ve dragged their feet,” stated Lyndon Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer and Principal Officer of Local 471. “Our members are united in demanding the wages, health care, and job protections they deserve. We’re prepared to stay out as long as it takes to ensure we get a fair contract.”

Workers have reportedly been without a wage increase for over a year, and AMPI's refusal to agree to necessary adjustments that align with living cost increases has fueled further dissatisfaction. Additionally, proposed changes aimed at enhancing health care flexibility and securing job protections in cases of ownership changes have been met with resistance from the company.

Heidi Barg, who has worked at AMPI as a lab technician for 18 years, remarked, “When I started at AMPI 18 years ago, this was a place where people built successful careers in a small town to support their families. Too many now see it as just a job, and that has been tough for me to watch. We’re not asking for anything unreasonable. We just want to be fairly compensated and treated with the respect our years of hard work and dedication have earned.”

Teamsters Local 471, which represents various Minnesota-based workers in dairy processing, warehousing, and distribution, continues to stand firm as negotiations unfold. More details can be found on their website.

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