Teamsters Strike at AMPI Dairy After Nearly a Year of Failed Negotiations

(KNSI) — Workers at Associated Milk Producers Incorporated Dairy in Paynesville have walked off the job after nearly a year of contract negotiations broke down over what the union calls unfair labor practices.

Members of Teamsters Local 471 went on strike after accusing AMPI of refusing to bargain in good faith and of presenting an unfair contract proposal. AMPI is the largest farmer-owned cheese cooperative in the U.S., and its processing and shipping facility supplies cheese throughout the Midwest and markets it to foodservice, retail, and food ingredient customers.

Lyndon Johnson, Secretary-Treasurer and Principal Officer of Local 471, said the company has had ample time to reach a deal. “Our members are united in demanding the wages, health care, and job protections they deserve,” he said. “We’re prepared to stay out as long as it takes to ensure we get a fair contract.”

At the center of the dispute are wages, health care coverage, and job security. The union says workers have gone more than a year without a raise, while AMPI has declined to offer increases that keep pace with the rising cost of living. They allege the company has also rejected proposals for more flexible health care options and refused to guarantee workers could keep their jobs and union contract if the facility is sold or changes ownership.

“When I started at AMPI 18 years ago, this was a place where people built successful careers in a small town to support their families. Too many now see it as just a job, and that has been tough for me to watch,” said Heidi Barg, an 18-year lab technician at AMPI Dairy. “We’re not asking for anything unreasonable. We just want to be fairly compensated and treated with the respect our years of hard work and dedication have earned.”

KNSI News reached out to AMPI representatives for a statement.

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