Teamsters Demand Fair Contracts for Dairy Workers Across the Nation

Teamsters Push for Consistent National Standards Amid Dairy Contract Negotiations

In a significant move to influence ongoing labor negotiations, Teamsters have initiated practice picketing at several Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) locations, including facilities in Englewood, Colorado; Milwaukee; Salt Lake City; and across Southern California. The aim is to expedite the finalization of 19 collective bargaining agreements set to lapse on May 5. As the largest dairy cooperative in North America, DFA is at the center of these critical discussions.

Lou Villalvazo, head of the DFA Teamsters National Negotiating Committee and Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 630, emphasized the union's stance, saying, “We demand a fair national standard at DFA. Our members work hard and deserve strong contracts that protect workers and reflect the crucial role they play in the supply chain.”

The Teamsters are pushing for improved wages, better health care and retirement benefits, job protection against automation, and a unified expiration date for contracts covering approximately 2,000 workers. If agreements are not reached by the deadline, the union might call for a strike at any of the 35 DFA facilities still in negotiations.

Highlighting the importance of swift agreement, Jesse Case, Director of the Teamsters Food Processing Division, pointed out that DFA supplies about one-third of the nation's milk. He stated, “This employer has more than enough resources to reach fair agreements. It’s in the best interest of the co-op to settle these agreements quickly.”

Randy Tidd, working at the DFA subsidiary Meadow Gold in Englewood and a member of Teamsters Local 455, voiced solidarity among workers, saying, “We’re out here because DFA needs to know that drivers, warehouse staff, and production workers are united in this fight. There are a lot of brothers and sisters across this country right now who are negotiating with DFA. We’re ready to do whatever it takes to get a good contract.”

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, established in 1903, represents over 1.3 million workers across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. For more details, visit Teamster.org. Follow updates on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.