{"id":1749,"date":"2019-11-12T18:27:04","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T00:27:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufcw663.org\/blog\/?p=1749"},"modified":"2019-11-12T18:27:04","modified_gmt":"2019-11-13T00:27:04","slug":"ufcw663-tony-downs-madelia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw663.org\/blog\/2019\/11\/12\/ufcw663-tony-downs-madelia\/","title":{"rendered":"United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 union members at Tony Downs Foods in Madelia vote overwhelmingly to accept four-year contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/span><\/p>\n

Wednesday, November 13<\/span><\/p>\n

Contact: Jessica Hayssen<\/span><\/p>\n

651.261.8559<\/span><\/p>\n

jessicah@ufcw663.org<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 union members at Tony Downs Foods in Madelia vote overwhelmingly to accept four-year contract<\/span><\/p>\n

Madelia, MN\u2014-Today, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 union members who work at Tony Downs Foods in Madelia voted to accept a four-year union contract that provides higher wages, better health benefits, a more secure retirement plan, and worker protections for over 300 workers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tony Downs Foods in Madelia is the largest employer in Madelia. Workers perform food processing duties in the plant.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy for the raises we were able to get as a union. I\u2019ve worked non-union jobs before and have come back to Tony Downs because it\u2019s a union company that supports the community with good jobs,\u201d said William Castro, a forklift operator who has worked at Tony Downs Foods for 15 years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The contract represents a big economic win for families in Madelia and surrounding area.\u00a0<\/span>Over the life of the four-year contract, workers will receive a total of a 12 percent increase in base pay and 401(k) contributions combined.<\/span><\/p>\n

By negotiating higher wages and benefits for unionized workers, non-union workers in the meat-packing and food processing industry have more opportunities for increased wages and benefits because an improved economy benefits all participants. Workers at Tony Downs Foods in Madelia have a guarantee of increased wages and benefits because they voted on a legally binding contract where they have it in writing. Non-union workplaces do not have those guarantees in writing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The contract will be active from October 1, 2019-September 30, 2023 and union members will receive retro-active pay from October 1 as well as a sign-on (or ratification) bonus. Other highlights of the contract include:<\/span><\/p>\n