The Nation - News from Jan. 17, 1986

The parent union for meatpackers striking the Geo. A. Hormel & Co. in Austin, Minn., refused to give permission for picketing at the company’s other plants and told the Austin strike leaders that they are leading a “mass suicide.” “In the name of human compassion, I urge you to put a stop to the suffering P-9 members and their families have endured for five long months before it is too late,” said William Wynn, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers. About 1,500 P-9 members went on strike Aug. 17 in a long-simmering dispute over wages and working conditions at the Austin plant. Hormel had cut wages by 23%, dropping base pay from $10.69 to $8.25 an hour. Hormel said the change was needed to stay competitive.