A look at the Hormel strike of 1985 through images that were published by the Austin Daily Herald at the time of the event. THE CHAIN OF COMMAND. Image courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society, 08/14/1985 MPR report: Austin, before the strike, 01/20/1986 MPR report: Sending in the National Guard, 06/02/1986 MPR report: Strike ends, with Gary Eichten, Slideshow: Photos from the Hormel strike in Austin. Chronicles the six-month strike at Hormel in Austin, Minnesota, in 1985-86. A. Hormel and Company's Austin, Minnesota, flagship plant. Many smaller companies went under, others instituted wage cuts. On November 13, 1933, in what historians have suggested was the first officially-recorded sitdown strike in U.S. history, victorious workers at the Hormel…continue reading → CodyCross is an addictive game developed by Fanatee. A gift of $17 makes a difference. You make MPR News possible. The Hormel strike that began 25 years ago, devastated Austin and transformed the workforce of the small city. Synopsis. A. Hormel & Co. in Austin, Minnesota, went on strike for a new contract. On Aug. 17, 1985, the Hormel strike began when workers staged a walkout after 93 percent of local P-9 union members voted to go on strike. The recession of the early 1980's increased competition among meatpackers around the country. Strike leaders appear to be planning to join forces this summer with like-minded unionists who will be in bargaining between Hormel and the international union on contracts that expire Sept. 1. In this brief book, Rachleff ( Black Labor in Richmond, 1865-1890 ), who chaired a committee supporting the 1985-1986 strike against the Hormel Co. in Austin, Minn., offers a partial corrective to Bar When the union members in Austin refused, local P-9 was placed in receivership and taken over by the national union. The Hormel strike, which she follows as it spans agonizing months and years, weaves a more tangled web. On August 17, 1985, about 1,500 Hormel Foods Corporation workers went on strike at the meat-processing plant at the company’s headquarters in Austin, Minnesota. — Monsignor Charles Owen Rice 1. When the company demanded a 23 percent wage cut, about 1,500 workers with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, Local P-9, in Austin walked off the job in August. The Hormel strikers proposed a new national union that would not have power concentrated in a national executive board, but would have … And in this quiet community, red-faced screaming matches happened almost daily on the picket line. Donate today. Hormel Summary. It became one of the longest strikes of the 1980s. motion for sanctions filed by ALDF, ALDF's motion to strike, Hormel's motion to seal, and four motions to seal filed by various non-parties. Documentary about the strike against the Geo. By the summer … After the strike, Hormel hired new workers at lower wages. 10 years ago by Staff Reports. After the strike, Hormel hired new workers at lower wages. . A. Hormel Co. in Austin by the United Food and Commercial Workers Local P-9 in 1985-1986. National Guard soldiers patrolled the streets to keep the peace. . Everything you need to understand or teach Hormel. The strike … 1 Encyclopedia Article; Study Pack . Peter Rachleff, “The Hormel Strike: Turning Point for the Rank-and-File Labor Movement,” Socialist Review, no. Each world has more than 20 groups with 5 puzzles each. (Image courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society), Virtual Gig List: Brother Ali; Tycho; Low; Daniel Caesar; and more, Virtual Gig List: Kelsey Waldon; Bad Religion; Low Cut Connie and more, Virtual Gig List: Charlie Parr; Gaelynn Lea; Caitlyn Canty; Grant-Lee Philips; Deep Sea Diver and more, Virtual Gig List: Phantom Planet; Joe Flip; Della Mae and more, Virtual Gig List: #iVoted Festival Georgia; Rhett Miller and more, This Moment In Time: a music event by Sacred Heart Music Center and DanSan Creatives, 08/14/1985 MPR report: Austin, before the strike, 01/20/1986 MPR report: Sending in the National Guard, 06/02/1986 MPR report: Strike ends, with Gary Eichten, Slideshow: Photos from the Hormel strike in Austin, Minnesota Public Radio - 89.3 The Current. In January 1986 Hormel reopened the plant with strikebreakers, leading P-9 to widen its efforts to secure support from other workers. The local union, P-9 of the Food and Commercial Workers, overwhelmingly rejects a contract offer with a $2/hour wage cut. In the early 1980s, recession impacted several meatpacking companies, decreasing demand and increasing competition which led smaller and less-efficient companies to go out of business. In April 1986 the UFCW terminated its support for the strik… The strikers, members of United Food and Commercial Workers’ Local P-9, cited a wage freeze, dangerous working conditions, and a wage cut as the reasons for the strike, which continued for thirteen months. Families stopped talking. Listen Live, Acoustic, Americana and Roots The recession of the early 1980's increased competition among meatpackers around the country. Local 9 (Austin, Minn.); Geo. The Hormel workers' strike was a significant battle in American labor union history. Hormel Strike SUNDAY, AUGUST 15, 2010. Today, it processes 19,000 hogs a day, according to the company's website. Read more. The 10-month strike devastated the city. By 1985, Hormel felt pressure to remain competitive. On August 17, 1985, about 1,500 Hormel Foods Corporation workers went on strike at the meat-processing plant at the company’s headquarters in Austin, Minnesota. Summaries. On Strike at Hormel: The Struggle for a Democratic Labor Movement; Hardy Green; 2018; Book; Published by: Temple University Press; View View Citation; contents. © 2021 Minnesota Public Radio. II. Listen Live Blog ›, Music for kids and their adults 1985-86 Union Meatpackers Strike Hormel Plant BY FRED HALSTEAD On Aug. 17, 1985, the 1,500 union meatpackers at Geo. 11. Many smaller companies went under, others instituted wage cuts. Click on image to enlarge. Photo courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society. The Chain of Command. Families stopped talking. The UFCW made a mistake. A. Hormel … On 19 August 1985 Local P-9 of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) went on strike against Geo. By the mid-1990s, QPP ushered in a new workforce of mostly single Mexican men. Listen Live, Exploring the musical legacy of Prince and beyond By 1985, Hormel felt pressure to remain competitive. And in this quiet community, red-faced screaming matches happened almost daily on the picket line. The strikers, … A. Hormel & Company Strike, Austin, Minn., 1985-1986.; Minnesota Minnesota Hard-pressed in the heartland : the Hormel strike and the future of the labor movement / Peter Rachleff - Details - Trove IX. Today, it processes 19,000 hogs a day, according to the company's website. Minnesota Music On Strike at Hormel: The Struggle for a Democratic Labor Movement. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Additional Information . It should have cooperated fully with the tough men and women of Austin, and thus might have struck a spark in its whole organization. 89 (September–October 1986): 77; undated letter entitled “UFCW Region 13 Food Caravan” and signed by Joseph T. Hansen, UFCW Region 13 director, distributed on October 19, 1985. QPP took over the more dangerous cut and slaughter part of the business. And a few years later, in 1989, the company leased part of its Austin plant to a newly created company called Quality Pork Processors, or QPP. 7 pages. When management demanded a 23% wage cut from the workers they decided to begin the strike[4]. Frustrated workers in the hog kill department at the Hormel plant in Austin, Minn., went on strike in 1933. All rights reserved. Overview In December of 1984, the members of United Food and Commercial Workers Union local P-9 initiated a campaign against wage and benefit cuts at the Hormel Company in Austin, Minnesota. 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