(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) – Last week, Teamsters from across the country met to discuss bargaining with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA). At the meeting, the Teamsters representatives in attendance voted unanimously in favor of coordinated bargaining with the dairy cooperative.
“It’d be very hypocritical for DFA to refuse coordinated bargaining with us,” said Jesse Case, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 238 and Food Processing Division Director. “They’re not a corporation, they’re a cooperative. The whole reason they exist is so their owner-members can coordinate as a way of enhancing their economic leverage. Shouldn’t DFA Teamsters do the exact same thing?”
As a cooperative, DFA is privately owned by its membership, which is composed of dairy farm owners from all over the U.S. DFA produces one third of raw milk domestically, making it the largest single domestic dairy producer and the second-largest agricultural cooperative overall. Although they have no national contract at DFA, the Teamsters have 18 stand-alone collective bargaining agreements expiring with the cooperative between March and April of next year. The opportunity to engage in coordinated bargaining has come about because of the common expiration dates, which was the result of DFA absorbing parts of another dairy provider, Dean Foods.
“This isn’t some mom-and-pop family farm. This is the biggest player in the industry – not to mention one of the most profitable,” said Lou Villalvazo, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 630 and Chairman of the DFA Teamsters National Bargaining Committee. “DFA has more than enough money to pay our members what they are worth.”
“We’re not just going to get back what we lost when times were tough due to the pandemic,” said Kevin Saylor, Teamsters Local 120 Business Agent and Vice President. “We’re going to bargain for the highest standard in the business, one that creates a pathway to increasing union power both at this firm and at other dairy providers.”
During the meeting, DFA representatives discussed the history of bargaining with the cooperative, minimum standard requirements for all DFA contracts, and tactics for getting the best possible compensation package for all DFA Teamsters. Representatives also listened to presentations from the Teamsters Strategic Initiatives Department.
“We’re militant, we’re organized, and most importantly, we’re a united front,” said Brian Ball, Local 61 Secretary-Treasurer. “We’ve never been in a better position to bargain for the best possible contracts at DFA.”
