California Foster Farms Workers Prep Strike; Rally with Mayor of Compton, Faith and Community Leaders

COMPTON, Calif., July 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, July 25 250 Foster Farms workers in Compton who are represented by Teamsters Local 630 will rally from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. outside of the Smart & Final Supermarket located at 280 East Compton Blvd, Compton, CA 90220; with support from Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, other elected leaders, community activists and faith-based leaders.

The production, sanitation, warehouse and maintenance workers, approximately 70 percent of whom are Latina and Black women, recently voted nearly unanimously against a contract proposal that would shift thousands of dollars of healthcare costs onto them. For example, workers would be forced to pay 20 percent of medical costs frequently utilized by women with families such as labor and delivery, emergency room visits, and mental health services. In addition to this, the company has refused to accept a healthcare proposal made by Local 630 that would save Foster Farms close to $500,000 in the first year and at least $1.5 million over the life of the contract.

The Compton Foster Farms facility (Media Contact: Edward Gharavi, Foster Farms Compton Plant Manager – 626-394-5846) manufactures poultry products for a range of retailers, including Costco, Chick Fil-A, Burger King, Walmart, Sysco Corporation, and Smart & Final Supermarkets, as well as public school systems and correctional facilities throughout California.

The escalating labor dispute in Compton may be a sign of larger labor troubles for Foster Farms, as well as the food supply chain in California. Several other Foster Farm facilities are represented by the Teamsters and other unions, including a key poultry distribution center in Southern California that supplies products to grocery stores owned by Albertsons, Kroger, Costco, and Walmart.

When:  Saturday, July 24, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Where: Smart & Final Supermarket located at 280 East Compton Blvd, Compton, CA 90220

What: Rally to Support Compton Foster Farms Workers Preparing to Strike

Who: Foster Farms Workers; Lou Villalvazo, Secretary Treasurer, Teamsters Local 396; Emma Sharif, Mayor of Compton; Reverend Walter Contreras; Pastor Cue Jn Marie

Visuals: Over one hundred stakeholders – including union members, community members, and elected officials – will participate in a rally at Smart & Final in Compton California to support Foster Farms workers.

Contact: Adan Alvarez - (323) 404-5939 - adanalvarez@local396.net 
Oscar Ruiz - (213) 590-7119 - oscar@teamsters630.org 

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SOURCE Teamsters Local 630