Since March 2, more than 450 workers at Nestlé Purina PetCare’s production facility in South Whitehall Township, Pennsylvania, U.S., had been on strike. On April 21, Teamsters Local 773 ended the strike by ratifying a new four-year contract. The agreement included wage increases and an expedited grievance procedure, while addressing other workplace issues. Represented by Teamsters Local 773, the employees reached the agreement following weeks of picketing and bargaining with Purina.
Nestlé Purina's South Whitehall Township facility in Pennsylvania produces a range of dog and cat food products, such as ALPO, Beneful, Beyond, Dog Chow, Friskies, Purina One and Purina Pro Plan brands. Nestlé Purina also operates pet food factories in 19 countries, according to Petfood Industry’s Top Companies database. Nestlé Purina claims three headquarters globally: St. Louis, Missouri, USA, for its North American and Latin American operations; Lausanne, Switzerland, in Europe; and Sydney, Australia, covering Asia, Oceania and Africa. Its parent company, Nestlé's world headquarters, is in Vevey, Switzerland.
“Workers need stability for themselves and their families during these uneasy times and Teamsters will fight to get it,” Jesse Case, director of the Teamsters Food Processing Division, said in a press release. “If workers don’t have justice, large corporations will not have peace.”
Labor unions such as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and local labor organizations may represent workers involved in manufacturing, packaging, logistics and quality control at major pet food companies. These unions advocate for fair wages, safe working conditions and equitable benefits, often in the context of highly automated production environments and consolidated corporate ownership.
As pet owners demand more supply chain transparency and ethical sourcing, labor practices are under increased consumer scrutiny.
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