Saturday, May 23, 1998
Talks slated in strike, but may not happen
By Jefferson Wolfe
Staff Writer
NEW RIEGEL - Negotiations have been scheduled in a labor dispute at a wholesale meat business. However officials on both sides say it may not happen.
A meeting has been scheduled for May 28 for members of Farmland Industries and the United Food and Commercial Workers' Union Local 911.
However, both union and management say the meeting may be in jeopardy.
Union representative Jefferson Stephens said a meeting was scheduled with the union, management and a federal mediator. However, Stephens said he received a message Friday from the union negotiator, saying if the union's position had not changed, neither had Farmland Food's position, and there was no need to have a meeting.
Sherlyn Manson, corporate communications director for Farmland Foods, said the offer the company made, which the union voted down, was Farmland's final offer.
''A final offer we believe was fair and competitive,'' Manson said. ''We do hope to resolve the situation, but as we have told union representatives since the contract was extended that was the company's final offer,'' she said.
The workers have been on the picket lines since walking off the job May 18 at Riegel Foods, 27 S. Perry St., New Riegel.
Tuesday, Seneca County Common Pleas Judge Michael P. Kelbley signed a restraining order against union members, ruling that they had interfered with people and equipment entering and leaving the facility.
The order alowed for no more than 10 picketers to be within 20 feet of an emterance.
Manson said the restraining order was typical in a strike like this one for security measures. She said she did not expect propblems.
''We have confidence in the integrity of our employees,'' she said.