010437 Meat Cutters Accept Contract at Hormel Pork UnitApril 11, 2001Chicago - Union meat cutters accepted a five-year labor contract that ended a three-week strike at the Rochelle Foods Inc. pork plant, a wholly owned unit of meat company Hormel Foods Corp., a union official said. The Rochelle, Ill., plant, which can slaughter about 7000 hogs a day, is about 70 miles west of Chicago. Company officials were unavailable for comment, but the union said some of the 855 workers returned to work on Monday and others will return during the week. “Most everyone should be back at work by Thursday,” said T.J. Lauritsen, assistant to the director of the International United Food and Commercial Workers. The contract gives workers an hourly raise of $1.40 over the five years plus improved health insurance benefits, Lauritsen said.
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