Dear Wayne Sanderson Farms Members,
We want to provide you with the facts surrounding a “lump sum bonus payout” that was being offered to some Wayne Sanderson Farms workers that your Union became aware of by announcement on the Company televisions in the break rooms.
On May 14th, your Union approached Wayne Sanderson Farms Management to get information regarding a seniority lump sum bonus payout that was being offered and to begin good faith bargaining over the bonus.
Unfortunately, the Company refused to negotiate or agree to that bonus for the bargaining unit workers at your locations. Company representatives Doug Anderson, Director of Labor Relations in Hammond, LA, and David Johns, Director of Labor Relations in Bryan, TX, informed the Local Union that the Company would not be offering that bonus to the bargaining unit workers and that the Company was not interested in bargaining at this time and would wait until regular contract negotiations began for the 2 facilities.
Local Union Assistant Collective Bargaining Director Hipolito Arriaga informed the Company that the announcement on the breakrooms’ TVs really upset the membership, and the members want to be offered this benefit as well. Doug Anderson and David Johns said they understood, but the 2 facilities did not control announcements on the breakroom TVs locally. Company representatives made clear that they were not interested in bargaining or providing the benefit at this time. Assistant Collective Bargaining Director Hipolito Arriaga told the Company that the Local would remain open to bargain as soon as the Company was ready and that there was no need to wait until the contracts were up for renegotiation, as we believed you have earned and deserve a benefit like this and need this money now!
These are the facts surrounding the Local’s attempt to secure the lump sum bonus payout for all the bargaining unit workers at the Hammond and Bryan locations. Unfortunately, the Company was not interested in negotiating or providing you with that benefit at this time.
Our Union contract in Hammond expires on 11/30/25 and in Bryan, TX, 5/31/26. Your Union will do everything we can to bargain & secure more money in a new agreement for you and your families, and we understand the importance of all of our members being able to make ends meet.
Thank you for working hard, and if you have any questions surrounding this subject or any other concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your Local Union Representative Shirley Rome at 281-900-0572 for the Hammond, LA facility and Oscar Martinez at 281-900-9177 for the Bryan, TX facility.
Brandon Hopkins,
President, UFCW Local 455
