The Bakers Local 22 contract at the Old Dutch Foods plant in Roseville covers about 160 workers. “We got wage increases all the way through,” reported Local 22 president Ron Mohrland.

The first year of the contract contained a higher wage increase and a lump-sum payment to offset rising health care costs, Mohrland added.

The Old Dutch contract also granted workers an additional paid holiday in the form of a personal floating holiday, he said.

“It was a progressive contract for five years,” said Local 22 vice president Bruce Peglow.

The Old Dutch plant in Roseville makes a variety of potato chips sold under the Old Dutch brand and other private labels.

The Bakers Local 22 contract at the Ralcorp/Lofthouse plant in Fridley covers about 160 workers who make artisan breads shipped frozen across the country. (The facility formerly was McGlynn’s Bakery).

The new, five-year agreement brings annual wage increases. “Some job classifications were moved into higher pay scales,” Local 22 president Mohrland noted.

“The highlight to me was we held health care costs down,” Mohrland added.

Looking ahead to 2012, about 700-800 members of Bakers Local 22 face contract expirations at retail stores including Cub, Lunds and Byerly’s, Jerry’s Cub Foods, and Jerry’s County Markets. The expiring retail agreements included a two-year wage freeze.

This article is reprinted from the Minneapolis Labor Review.