Hundreds of Local 773 Members Ratify Contract After Successful Seven-Week Strike

(SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP, Pa.) – After nearly two months on the picket line, more than 450 members of Teamsters Local 773 who work at the Nestle Purina PetCare plant in South Whitehall Township have ratified a strong four-year contract. The agreement includes substantial wage increases, an expedited grievance procedure, and improvements on a multitude of other workplace issues.

“This much-needed boost in pay only happened because we stuck together to take on this greedy multinational corporation,” said Dennis Hower, President of Teamsters Local 773. “The Teamsters will strike any company that tries to short-change us.”

“Workers need stability for themselves and their families during these uneasy times and Teamsters will fight to get it,” said Jesse Case, Director of the Teamsters Food Processing Division. “If workers don’t have justice, large corporations will not have peace.”

Local 773 members are responsible for producing a significant portion of the U.S.’s pet food supply — Nestle Purina is the largest pet food company in the country, making nearly $21 billion in revenue last year.

“I’m proud of my brothers and sisters who held strong in solidarity during this strike,” said Dwayne Switzer, a Nestle Purina worker and Local 773 member. “We put Nestle on notice that we won’t accept a lackluster contract — not now and not in the future.”

Teamsters Local 773 represents workers in a wide range of industries throughout the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania. For more information, go to teamster773.org.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Share via email