Harvest Time Brings New Contract for Quaker Oats/PepsiCo Members (9/6/07)

(left to right) Michael Hughes, Phil Ondler, Jason Sennett, Carol Kremer, Deb Lathrop, Mark Beltz, Roger Grobstich, and Local 110 President Al Hartl, Jr., were part of the negotiating committee.

RWDSU Local 110 members at the Quaker Oats/PepsiCo plant in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are currently working through the busiest time of the year, bringing in the Canadian harvest of oats, corn, barley, and wheat to turn into cereals and oatmeal. It was in the midst of this busy time that members considered and ratified a new 5-year contract at the plant. The new agreement raises workers' salary 15 percent, and contains a $1,000 signing bonus and an additional $500 bonus to be paid later in the contract.

The agreement also protects members' health care for another 5 years and includes language that improves illness and accidents and overtime scheduling procedures.

According to Mike Johnson, who works in the elevator department that brings the harvests into the plant, the contract is a strong one.

"I've been here for over 32 years, and this really is one of the best contracts I've seen here," Johnson says. "I'm really ecstatic about the wage increase, and this negotiating committee needs to be commended for the great job they did."

RWDSU members at the Quaker Oats/PepsiCo plant, which has been in business for well over 100 years, produce cereals, oatmeal, and other Quaker Oats products.