American Crystal Sugar offers same proposal that union already rejected, BCTGM says; no new talks scheduled, 1,300 workers locked out since Aug. 1

Duncan Martell

FARGO, North Dakota , August 26, 2011 (press release) – “For the first time in four weeks, representatives from American Crystal Sugar Company finally agreed to meet with BCTGM union negotiators.

We came to the table in good faith with proposals that addressed many of the company’s concerns including changes to health coverage and expanding upon the company’s substance abuse policy.

Unfortunately, the company ignored our ideas and stubbornly offered the same proposal that 96% of our membership rejected.

While the company has refused to schedule another meeting, we still hope to sit down and negotiate as soon as possible.

BCTGM remains committed to negotiating a contract that is fair to workers, the company, farmers, and the Red River Valley community.

We continue to call on American Crystal Sugar executives to end this lockout, let us get back to work, and continue negotiations.”

American Crystal Sugar has processing plants in East Grand Forks, Crookston, and Moorhead, Minn.; Hillsboro and Drayton, N.D.; and packaging and transportation sites in Chaska, Minn. and Mason City, Iowa. Workers at these facilities are represented by BCTGM Locals 167G (Grand Forks, N.D.), 265G (Chaska), 267G (Crookston), 269G (Mason City) and 372G (Hillsboro, N.D.).

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