020359 Labor Talks Set at Smithfield Pork Plants

Chicago - Talks resumed between meat company Smithfield Foods Inc. and union meat cutters at two Virginia meat plants to construct a labor contract to replace the one that expired Feb. 5, a union official said.

The affected Smithfield facilities are the Gwaltney of Smithfield fresh pork plant in Smithfield, Virginia, and a processed meats plant in Portsmouth, Virginia. The two plants employ about 1,700 workers, of whom about 1,100 are union members.

In talks last week, the company made some changes to a five-year contract proposal that had been rejected earlier this month.

"It is different, but not significantly different," said David Vinson, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 822, of the new contract proposal.

Smithfield Foods, the nation's largest pork producer, would not comment on the talks.

The meat cutters last week agreed to a contract extension until April 14, with contract talks set for Friday and March 27, Vinson said.

"It is our intention to wrap up these issues and revote at least a week before the extension ends," he said.

The Gwaltney plant has a daily hog slaughter capacity of about 8,800 head, industry sources said. The Portsmouth plant produces such products as hot dogs and lunch meat.

RETURN TO HOME PAGE

E-mail: sflanagan@sprintmail.com