Union: Resume talks with American Crystal

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) -- A union official says locked-out American Crystal Sugar Co. workers will resume talks with the company on June 8.

John Riskey tells the Grand Forks Herald that the union hopes Crystal will actively negotiate.

Crystal spokesman Brian Ingulsrud tells The Associated Press that the company is willing to meet at the request of a federal mediator. But he says ``our final offer is our final offer.''

About 1,300 union workers at Crystal plants in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa have been locked out since Aug. 1 because of a contract dispute. The last time the two sides met was in February. Crystal is using replacement workers.

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