WASHINGTON — The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) announced on June 22 that it reached an agreement with Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI) to offer union representation at locations around the United States.

According to UFCW, two PSSI locations in Liberal, Kan., and Mason City, Iowa, agreed to join the proposed union.

“The problems we have witnessed in the industry must firmly remain a thing of the past, and we believe that good, strong union contracts are crucial to protecting all meatpacking and food processing workers,” said Marc Perrone, UFCW international president. 

PSSI provided a statement on its workers’ decision to unionize.

“At PSSI we are committed to creating economic opportunity and a strong working environment for our valued employees,” a company spokesperson said. “We recognize and honor the decision our team members at these plants made to choose the UFCW as their bargaining representative and look forward to engaging with them in good faith moving forward.”

The news follows a Department of Labor (DOL) investigation earlier in 2023. The agency issued a $1.5 million fine and claimed that PSSI employed at least 102 workers from 13 to 17 years of age to clean meatpacking plants.

During April, PSSI hired Tim Mulhere as the new chief executive officer and announced a new charitable fund to help children in communities where the company operates.

After the investigation, Cargill announced it would cut ties with PSSI, and JBS USA created an in-house food safety and food plant sanitation business.