Texas poultry workers receive highest pay raises

Pilgrim's Pride new union contract to provide poultry workers with the highest pay raises in plant history.

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United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the union for over 33,000 Texas food and retail workers statewide, announced that over 400 Texas poultry workers at the Pilgrim’s Pride plant approved their first union contract which includes pay raises up to $4.00 per hour – the largest in plant history.

The first-ever worker safety committee was created to stronger overtime protections, and provisions to preserve strong healthcare and retirement benefits.

As COVID-19 risks continue in McLennan County and across Texas, the new union contract is the cumulation of what started in July 2021, when these Waco Pilgrim’s Pride workers unionized and joined UFCW Local 540. This is the largest union for food workers in the region and a leading advocate for frontline food worker safety.

“With today’s union contract, Texas poultry workers at Waco Pilgrim’s Pride have secured the highest pay raises in the plant history and created the first-ever worker safety committee – sending a powerful message that workers have a stronger voice on the job when they stand together,” Johnny Rodriguez, president of UFCW Local 540, stated in a press release. “Helping Texas families put food on the table during the pandemic, these brave frontline workers stepped up for us when we needed them most and have been essential to keeping our communities strong. Just four months after choosing to unionize, these hardworking men and women are achieving results that will help them support their families, build strong careers, and inspire many more Texans to stand up for the good pay and benefits they have earned.”

Key provisions of the Pilgrim’s Pride UFCW 3-year contract approved:

  • Pay increases of up to $4.00 per hour as part of their first union contract
  • Healthcare coverage preserved as part of commitment to employees and families
  • Retirement plan security ensured as company maintains this long-term investment
  • Overtime pay enhanced to provide higher pay daily instead of requiring employees to meet 40-hour weekly threshold before overtime kicks in
  • Worker safety committee created in historic first to ensue workers have a voice in the push to strengthen workplace protections as the pandemic continues
  • Job promotion opportunities expanded with new open bidding process that enables all employees to apply for vacancies and prioritizes seniority and qualifications
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