In a significant development for the pork processing industry, union workers at Quality Pork Processors (QPP) in Austin, Minnesota, have ratified a new three-year labor agreement that delivers the largest wage increase in the company’s history.
The deal, backed by members of United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663, includes a 15.6% wage increase over the contract term. Workers will receive a $2.20 per hour raise in the first year, with the total increase rising to $3.10 per hour by the end of the agreement. A $200 ratification bonus and enhanced dental and vision benefits are also included.
“Workers at QPP stood united and sent a strong message: fair pay and respect for their labor are not negotiable,” said UFCW 663 President Rena Wong in a public statement. “Austin is a union town, and this victory reinforces the value of solidarity in securing better conditions.”
This ratified contract marks the second major labor victory in Austin’s meatpacking sector in recent years. In 2023, UFCW members at nearby Hormel Foods also secured a notable wage increase.
QPP, a privately owned processor founded in 1989, plays a key role in the pork supply chain, handling approximately 19,000 hogs per day and employing over 1,300 workers.
As labor dynamics continue to evolve across the processing sector, agreements like this could shape the future of recruitment, retention, and overall operational stability in key pork-producing regions.
