Meatpacking union sues Hormel Foods for alleged earned sick, safe time violations

Meatpacking workers in Austin, Minn., filed a class-action lawsuit against Hormel Foods on Wednesday for allegedly failing to provide them paid leave benefits required by state law. 

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 union represents over 1,600 meatpacking workers at Hormel Foods. The class-action lawsuit claims the corporation failed and refused to provide union members with paid leave benefits under Minnesota’s Earned Sick and Safe Time laws. 

The union announced the lawsuit in front of the Austin Labor Center Wednesday morning. 

“Workers, advocates and legislators fought hard to make Earned Sick and Safe Time, law,” said Rena Wong, president of UFCW Local 663 in a news release. “UFCW 663 members know what it means to fight for what we deserve and win. After all, workers at Hormel set the standard for wages in the meat packing industry.”

Some of the allegations made against Hormel in the lawsuit include the corporation refusing to provide members earned benefits and failing to carry over unused paid time off at the end of the year. 

“ESST matters because it gives us time to care for ourselves or our families when we need it most,” said Dan Lenway, who works at Hormel Foods and is a UFCW 663 union member. “It means we don’t have to risk our jobs or wages just to take care of our health or our families. Everyone deserves the right to rest and recover without fear.”

MPR News contacted Hormel Foods. Representatives replied in an email, “we don’t comment on pending litigation.”

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