CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Cargill says it will cut off health insurance benefits for workers who remain on strike after Oct. 31 at the Cedar Rapids plant.
The workers went on strike on Oct. 1 after negotiations with the company over wages and working conditions failed.
Teamsters Local 238, which represents nearly 100 employees, released a statement Friday, calling the move to cut the worker’s health insurance callous.
“For Cargill to rip health care away from its workers in the middle of a strike is nothing short of cruel,” said Scott Punteney, business agent for Teamsters Local 238. “This company’s hundreds of billions of dollars is built on the backs of these workers, and yet they choose to punish them and their families by taking away health insurance. It’s a disgraceful tactic designed to force workers back into dangerous conditions for less than they deserve. Cargill’s greed is on full display.”
Cargill released a statement to TV9 confirming the striking worker’s health benefits will be cut off later this month:
“Although we have not reached an agreement with the union committee, we remain open and willing to engage in further negotiations. We believe Cargill has offered a fair and competitive package. In the interim, eligible employees have continued to receive their employee health insurance benefits and will do so through Oct 31, 2024. If they remain on strike after that date, then they will be eligible for benefits through COBRA. Cargill continues to safely supply high-quality products to our customers.”
The union is calling on Cargill to reinstate the health benefits and meet them at the bargaining table.
Copyright 2024 KCRG. All rights reserved.