Cargill faces "unfair labour practice charges" from Teamsters in lockout dispute

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Just Food

The lockout of more than 1,700 workers at Cargill’s Fort Morgan beef plant began in May and is still ongoing.

Simon Harvey June 11, 2026

The local union representing workers at Cargill’s Fort Morgan beef processing plant in Colorado has filed “unfair labour practise charges” against the meat giant.

Teamsters Local 455 has accused Minnesota-headquartered Cargill of not paying staff in a dispute that saw the business pause production at the beef site in May after locking out more than 1,700 workers.

That lockout is still in motion, Teamsters Local 455, the regional arm of Teamsters, said in a statement yesterday (10 June).

Dean Modecker, the secretary-treasurer of the Teamsters’ unit, said: “Cargill is hurting working families in Fort Morgan by illegally cutting benefits and refusing to pay its own workforce after now locking them out for multiple weeks.

Read more: https://www.just-food.com/news/cargill-faces-unfair-labour-practice-charges-from-teamsters-in-lockout-dispute/

[MichMan]

1. I'm having trouble understanding this

Teamsters Local 455 has accused Minnesota-headquartered Cargill of not paying staff in a dispute that saw the business pause production at the beef site in May after locking out more than 1,700 workers.

That lockout is still in motion, Teamsters Local 455, the regional arm of Teamsters, said in a statement yesterday (10 June).

Dean Modecker, the secretary-treasurer of the Teamsters’ unit, said: “Cargill is hurting working families in Fort Morgan by illegally cutting benefits and refusing to pay its own workforce after now locking them out for multiple weeks.

If the old contract has expired, the proposed one was voted down by the Teamsters, and Cargill implemented a lockout, why would the workers still be expecting to get pay and benefits?

[Omaha Steve]

2. I wonder if they cut off the health benefits prematurely is all I can think of

Usually health (and other benefits) continue for a short period after a lock-out.

[Omaha Steve]

4. I had time to reread the story

From the link: Cattle scheduled for Fort Morgan had been redirected to other company facilities, while employees continued to be paid under weekly guaranteed provisions in the expired contract, Cargill said last month.

[MichMan]

5. Seems like an odd way to impose a lockout though

[rpannier]

3. Reminder

...following the Democratic National Convention and recent Presidential debate, the Teamsters commissioned independent polling firm Lake Research Partners to conduct the union’s final national survey. In the poll ending Sept. 15, Teamsters selected Trump by 58 percent for endorsement over 31 percent for Harris.

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Wonder what the vote was at Local 455?