Butchers Vote Down Wage Cutback, Plan Walkout at 5 Plants

Union butchers, who rejected a management proposal that would have cut their wages and fringe benefits, planned to strike five slaughterhouses in the Vernon area beginning at 12:01 a.m. today.

Silverio Rivas, treasurer for the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 274, said Sunday that a strike was likely because no negotiations were scheduled before the deadline. He said further talks could be held, but prospects of an agreement before this morning appeared slim.

Although there is probably enough beef in the markets to last several days, a longer strike could cause shortages even if supermarkets bring beef in from plants in San Diego and outside California, Rivas said.

The packing companies--Acme Meat Co., Champion Packers Corp., Federal Meat Co., Globe Packing Co. and Shamrock Meats--handle two million pounds of fresh beef and lamb daily, mostly for Los Angeles markets, accounting for 80% of the meat slaughtered in the city, the union said.

However, some of the bigger chains--such as Safeway Stores and Ralph’s--have their own slaughterhouses out of state and would not be directly affected.

About 260 butchers are involved in the dispute.

The butchers last struck the industry three years ago. That strike lasted one week, and workers accepted a 69-cent-per-hour cut in pay. The current management proposal asks for a pay cut of 30 cents per hour. Most workers now earn between $6 and $9 an hour, Rivas said.

The three-year contract proposal also asks workers to accept cuts in medical coverage, pension benefits, holidays, vacations and sick pay. Union members rejected the proposal Saturday by a 3-2 margin.

Management representatives could not be reached for comment, although they have long maintained that wage cuts are necessary for their financial survival.

Rivas also said a tentative agreement was reached Saturday between the union local and the management of Clougherty Packing Co., which processes Farmer John products. Workers there walked off the job in October, returning to work eight weeks later without a settlement.

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, pending ratification by about 1,000 members of the union who work at Clougherty Packing. But the union is making it clear that it is not pleased with the deal.

It plans to intensify a boycott of Farmer John products. And Dave Barry, international vice president and regional director of the union, told workers that he indicated to management that he felt forced into the deal, saying “we’re not friends. We’re enemies.”