Teamsters Approve New Deals at Foremost Farms, Locking in Pay Gains and Short-Term Stability

Ratification Brings New Contracts to Two Wisconsin Plants

Teamsters members at Foremost Farms in Lancaster and Richland Center, Wisconsin, have voted to ratify new multi-year contracts that cover production and plant workers at both facilities. The votes wrap up a negotiation cycle that had raised local concern about possible labor stoppages. Workers won scheduled pay increases and improvements to benefits and work rules, while management framed the outcome as a path to steady production and community stability.

How the New Agreements Change Pay, Benefits and Work Rules

The contracts cover hourly workers at the Lancaster and Richland Center processing plants and run for four years. They include staggered wage increases that raise base pay over the life of the agreements, added protections for overtime and scheduling, and updates to health and retirement benefits. Alongside raises, the deals preserve key work rules that govern seniority, shift assignments and job postings.

Exactly how many workers are covered varies by site; both agreements are focused on production floor and maintenance staff who keep milk processing and packaging running day to day. The new pay schedule gives the largest raises in the early years, with smaller step-ups later in the contract — a common structure designed to ease the immediate budget hit for the company while guaranteeing income gains for workers.

Both sides also negotiated changes to shift premiums and language around call-in procedures, which workers said reduces last-minute schedule uncertainty. The agreements clarified language around temporary transfers and training, giving employees more predictability about which jobs they can be assigned to without losing seniority or pay protection.

Union officials reported that the ratification votes were decisive. Management representatives said the final margins reflected a clear choice by members to accept the terms and avoid work interruptions. While the vote totals were not released in detail, union leaders called the outcome a strong endorsement of the bargaining team’s work.

What This Means for Plant Operations and Short-Term Costs

For Foremost Farms’ Lancaster and Richland Center plants, the immediate effect is continuity. With contracts ratified, there is no looming strike or lockout, so production, deliveries and customer commitments should continue without the disruption that would come from a labor stoppage.

Management warned during talks that higher labor costs could pressure margins, but framed the settlements as manageable. Company spokespeople said the raises were balanced against operational needs and would be absorbed through a mix of efficiency measures and normal price adjustments in their product mix. For now, Foremost Farms is positioning the deals as predictable expenses that allow the company to plan production schedules and investments.

From a day-to-day view at the plants, the agreements reduce uncertainty that can harm output — fewer unexpected absences, clearer staffing rules and formalized training paths. Those quieter operations help local suppliers and trucking partners who rely on steady pickup times and volume commitments from the plants.

Voices from the Shop Floor and the C-Suite

Union leaders framed the outcome as a clear win for members. A Teamsters representative said the contracts brought “respect, stability and raises that reflect the hard work our members do.” The union highlighted improved scheduling language and stronger overtime protections as immediate quality-of-life gains for workers.

Foremost Farms spokespeople welcomed the vote as well. One company statement called the agreements “fair and balanced,” and said they allow the cooperative to “maintain reliable service for our customers while supporting our employees.” Management emphasized that keeping the plants running smoothly was a top priority for both sides during talks.

Local community voices echoed relief. A local official noted that steady plant operations matter in small towns where processing facilities are big employers: “When the plant runs, the town runs,” they said, pointing to payrolls, supplier orders and truck traffic as things that depend on labor peace.

Why This Ratification Matters for Dairy Labor Beyond These Plants

The Foremost Farms agreements fit into a broader pattern in the dairy and food-processing sector: unions and companies often trade larger early-year raises for predictability and strict work rules. That model helps both sides avoid disruptive disputes while securing wages that rise ahead of inflation in the near term.

Regionally, Wisconsin has seen a mix of labor outcomes in agriculture and food processing — some workplaces have moved toward shorter, local agreements, while others have pushed longer deals to lock in terms. These new four-year contracts fall on the longer side, suggesting both union and management wanted to minimize the chance of another round of bargaining soon.

For workers, the wins on pay and scheduling are the headline. For the plants and the local economies that rely on them, the ratification prevents the kind of uncertainty that can ripple through suppliers and trucking firms. In short, the deals buy time and steadiness for both sides while reflecting the pragmatic give-and-take that defines many modern labor settlements in the dairy industry.

Sources

• prnewswire.com