Local tannery workers that make products including the leather for Red Wing Shoe Co. are on strike, the labor union announced.
About 65 workers at Twin City Tanning in South St. Paul are on strike until their demands for fair wages and benefits are met, according to a news release from the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board, Workers United Local 150.
The picket, which is ongoing at the tannery at 501 Malden St., began Oct. 9 because Twin City Tanning “wasn’t bargaining in good faith,” said Matthew Muchowski, a union spokesperson.
The workers’ biggest demand revolves around pay, which they say doesn’t line up with the dangerous nature of their work.
Founded in 1988, Twin City Tanning is an affiliate of the nearby Twin City Hide and is listed as a certified supplier by the Leather Working Group, a global nonprofit that encourages sustainable leather production. Officials from Twin City Tanning declined to comment.
At a tannery, the raw animal hide goes through a series of chemical and mechanical treatments to remove hair, fat and flesh before a tanning agent is added to the hide to prevent it from decaying.
“There’s hazards all over the place,” said Mark Aufderhar, a maintenance worker at the tannery. “You can’t have just anyone doing these jobs,” he said, adding that certain chemicals they use like chromium salts and sulfuric acid can cause severe burns if not handled properly.
In addition to the abrasive chemicals, workers at the tannery said they encounter bug-infested hides and have concerns about the building’s outdated infrastructure.
The average hourly wage at the tannery is $23.50, said Union Rep. Esau Chavez. The lowest paid wage at the tannery is $21.70 an hour.
Aufderhar said over his eight-year tenure with the company, his pay has increased by $4 an hour.
As of Wednesday, the workers are demanding a $1.50 hourly wage increase for year one, followed by a 4% increase for each of the next two years, Chavez said. The workers are also asking that a monthly attendance bonus of $100 be altered to a weekly attendance bonus of $40.
“At least match the cost of living, anything less than that is unreasonable,” Aufderhar said.
On three separate occasions, the company offered a $1 increase for the first year, followed by a $.70 increase for the next two years, Muchowski said. The union rejected this offer each time and went on strike as a result of what they perceived to be unfair bargaining.
“These skilled workers deserve dignity, respect, and a contract worthy of their labor,” said Carlos Ginard, vice president of the Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board, in the release.
Workers United represents almost 150,000 workers in the U.S. and Canada. The Chicago and Midwest Regional Joint Board represents around 12,000 workers in the food service, manufacturing, textiles and apparel industries, according to its website.
Local solidarity
Representatives from the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, which represents 50,000 members across 100 local unions, joined the picket line Tuesday in South St. Paul.
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“Together, we offered strength and support to the bargaining team as they headed into mediation with the company,” the labor union said on Facebook.
State Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, was also on the picket line Tuesday, writing on Facebook that he was “proud to join striking workers.”
UFCW Local 663, which represents some 14,000 Minnesota workers in grocery, retail and meatpacking industries, including workers from Twin City Hide, also posted online in solidarity with the tannery workers.
Next steps
Union and company officials are expected to meet Thursday for the second mediation session.
“We’re hopeful an agreement will be reached,” Muchowski said. However, should negotiations continue, the union is prepared to “keep going” and plans to raise awareness at Red Wing Shoe locations, he said.
Representatives from Red Wing Shoe Co. did not respond to a Pioneer Press request for comment.
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