Meadow Gold employees
approve new 5-year
contract

Unionized employees of Meadow Gold Dairies Hawaii voted 105-18 yesterday to ratify a new five-year contract that includes increases in wages and pension.

"We didn't get everything we wanted, but I think we addressed a lot of the problems," said Ron Kozuma, secretary and treasurer of Local 996 of the Teamsters and Allied Workers. "There is some decent wages. We did address job security, a decent pension increase and some working conditions were addressed that were problems before."

Employees approved a $2.20-an-hour wage increase and a 65-cent increase in pension over a five-year period. There were no changes to medical benefits.

The contract also include no layoffs for the next three years. The ratified contract expires on Sept. 30, 2009, and will be retroactive to Oct. 1, 2004.

Sticking points in contract negotiations were subcontracting and medical benefits.

Dan Nakamura, a cottage cheese maker who was part of the negotiating committee, said he was "extremely satisfied" with the ratified contract.

Meanwhile, Meadow Gold's competitor, Foremost Dairies, will close its operations today. The company that had been faced with financial problems and deteriorating conditions had initially planned to close on Nov. 13.

"We have solicited bids to buy the processing equipment, fleet and the Foremost brand so we will have funds to meet our obligations to customers, employees and vendors," said owner Bahman Sadeghi.

Sadeghi is one of the investors in FH Acquisition, LLC that bought Foremost Dairies in January. "Since purchasing the company, we have put in close to $2 million dollars to try to turn around the company," he said.