By Sarah Dike
On Saturday, August 2nd, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 663 members at Quality Pork Processors (QPP) in Austin, MN ratified a new contract with their employer, securing a 3-year agreement with historic wage increases and a ratification bonus.
As a result of this intense organizing, workers won a 15.6% raise, the largest wage increase ever seen at QPP. Workers will see a $2.20/hr raise in the first year alone, and a total increase of $3.10/hr over the 3-year contract. On top of the increase, workers will also receive a $200 ratification bonus, and improvements to their vision and dental benefits.
“These are the highest raises we’ve ever won. We put in a lot of work talking to our coworkers and showing up to bargaining,” said Hser Wah, from the Cut department at QPP. “It paid off.”
To get their historic wage increase, ratification bonus, and benefit improvements, workers fought and stood together. Over 400 workers attended bargaining before work, after work, and on their days off – that’s more than a third of the entire workforce at QPP.
Winning this contract over the weekend turned a previously planned rally for a fair contract into a celebration.
“I’ll be celebrating this contract with my coworkers” said Josh Nelson, a worker in the Cut department at QPP. “Having the negotiations room packed with members won us more money than we ever have before.”
This is the second major contract victory for meat-packing workers in Austin in the last two years. In 2023, Hormel workers also won a major wage increase, setting a new meat-packing industry standard.
“The workers at QPP stood together to demand a contract that values their hard work with fair wages and dignity,” said UFCW 663 President Rena Wong. “In Austin, a proud union town, workers made it clear: fair pay isn’t optional, it’s necessary.”