Rosen s Diversified Inc., which owns Dakota Premium Foods, filed charges with the NLRB to overturn the election. The bosses claimed the union had agents working in the plant who intimidated and pressured workers into voting for the union and promised thousands of dollars and work permits to the mostly immigrant workforce if they backed the union. The company went so far as to assert that union supporters threatened to turn other workers in to the immigration cops if they didn t support the unionization drive. In her 64-page ruling, Susan Shaughnessy, hearing officer for NLRB Region 18, rejected the company claims. Workers in the boning and kill departments learned of the ruling at break-time meetings called by company vice president Esteban Cortinas.
Cortinas didn t announce whether the union had won or lost.
He said the company wanted to take this to a higher court. A dozen workers went to Local 789 s hall after work to discuss the NLRB decision and the next steps forward. Now we can take the next step forward. We were being held back, and some people were feeling demoralized. Local 789 s Communications Committee planned a meeting the following day to organize a general membership meeting of Dakota Premium Food workers as soon as possible, said Local 789 union representative Francisco Picado.