Cargill Workers Approve Deal 1,113-211, Ending 3-Month Fort Morgan Lockout

3 articles · Updated · The Denver Post · Aug 17

A 1,113-211 vote by Cargill workers in Fort Morgan approved the company’s latest offer, ending a labor dispute that had kept the plant largely idle since April and workers locked out since May.
About 1,700 Teamsters Local 455 members are covered by the agreement, though neither the union nor Cargill disclosed the contract terms after workers had rejected an earlier tentative deal this month.
Aug. 24 is the planned return date for employees, and Cargill said beef harvest should restart during the week of Sept. 7 after training and plant-preparation work.
Fort Morgan has a heavy stake in the reopening: roughly 20% of residents work at Cargill, and the company generates 15% of the city’s annual revenue.
The shutdown had already triggered budget cuts, hiring freezes and possible layoffs, so resumed operations should help the city avoid deeper staffing reductions and normalize finances.