Teamsters striking at Smuckers plant in Woodburn; Farmworkers show solidarity

The first guy told us they were with the Teamsters Local #670. Why were they striking? Over health and welfare issues. Smuckers management wants the union to accept a contract that drastically raises the amount that workers must pay every month for their health benefits. For example, someone making $6.75/hr at the plant will have to pay $160/month for their benefits, which is prohibitively high. These costs will be going up 5-8% next year under the contract's terms. "Especially if you have a family, there's no way you can do that."

The second guy said that under the new contract, they will basically be taking a pay cut. Though they are receiving a raise under its terms, the increased cost of their health insurance premium eats it away.

He also mentioned that they have other greviances; namely, forced 12-hour shifts. Workers are "threatened with insubordination" if they don't want to work that long. "You have no choice -- you have to work."

Smuckers has also been bringing in temporary workers. This allows them to avoid paying for benefits altogether, and to discourage further unionizing of the plant. But temps don't do as good a job; they don't have the experience or know-how that long-term employees have.

This guy has worked there 24 years. "I can run any piece of machinery and supervise. Everything but maintenance. There ain't a piece of machinery in this plant I don't know."

We asked him how Smuckers has changed over 24 years. "They've become more hostile to their employees," he said. "They don't treat us as good as they used to. We don't dare to trust anything they say. It's gotten real bad. I consider it a hostile work environment."

"When I started here there were 5-7 managers. Now we have over 11. `Too many chiefs and not enough Indians'." My videographer buddy wondered aloud whether having so many managers was the reason they couldn't pay workers better. The worker nodded. "They get a 5% raise, bonuses, profit-sharing. If I make a special effort to save them some money, I see nothing from it. They get all of it."

The local has filed a greviance with the National Labor Relations Board about their issues with Smuckers. That greviance is in process and they are waiting to hear back about it.

With the health of the economy rapidly failing, a strike is a bold move. "I know we're taking a big risk," the worker said, "in the economy we're in, but we gotta put down our foot sooner or later. Corporate greed is getting us too bad. Everytime you read the paper, some other corporatino is doing the Enron bit. It's kinda scary."

Despite these worries, the worker told us they plan to strike as long as they can. "Hopefully we can get some justice here."

The strike is definitely affecting Smuckers. "The facility is running ata diminished capacity. There's no way they [temp worker scabs] can run the machinery as fast as we can. They don't have 15 years experience running the drum driver, which I do. I know it's not running because if it was running you'd smell the fruit, and it would smell great." He smiled. "It'd make you hungry just smellin' it."

According to this worker, Smuckers has been moved equipment out of the plant over the previous two days too bring to another plant "up north" who can pick up the production that this plant isn't doing. It's harvest season for some berries now, and others will be coming in soon, and Smuckers doesn't want to miss out. We had seen some of the fields that morning, where migrant farmworkers make just 15 cents a pound.

The Teamsters have been receiving a lot of support from the community. More than one of them remarked on how many people honk, wave, and stop by. Hopefully, this support can expand to include the farmworkers, now that they have met each other. Smuckers, an large Ohio-based corporation, is involved in the oppression of both of them.