Talks are expected to resume today on a new contract for I-B-P workers in Waterloo.Union workers at IBP’s Waterloo plant overwhelmingly rejected the company’s contract offer this weekend. John Honeycutt, president of United Food & Commercial Workers Local number 431 said the vote was 98-percent against the contract. The workers DID pass a strike-authorization vote, though for now everyone’s supposed to report to work as normal. Honeycutt says he’ll call federal mediators today to bring everyone back to the bargaining table. IBP had offered a dollar-40 an hour base-pay increase, and volunteered to pick up the cost of short-term disability coverage. IBP officials say they’re disappointed at the rejection of the contract, and say they remain willing to continue discussions with union leaders.
