Strike at C&H Sugar: Local 6 Workers Fight Rollbacks, Broken Promises, and Unfair Labor Practices
By Joseph Hancock, ACP Los Angeles
On June 15, approximately 100 Local 6 members from the C&H Sugar refinery in Crockett, CA, officially launched a strike. The Union has filed unfair labor practice charges, asserting that C&H Sugar violated federal law through bad-faith bargaining. Employees are striking to defend their overtime pay, seniority rights, and healthcare benefits against corporate rollbacks.
For nearly a century, Local 6 has represented the workforce at this iconic plant, which processes 750,000 tons of raw sugar annually. These workers handle everything from dock unloading and warehousing to final product preparation. Since May, Local 6 has attempted to negotiate a contract that preserves retirement benefits and fair scheduling. However, C&H Sugar has ignored union proposals, instead offering a "Last, Best, and Final" deal that threatens retiree healthcare. Workers overwhelmingly rejected this offer. "We are on strike until management returns to the table in good faith," stated Local 6 Secretary-Treasurer Jose Nunez. "For a company under the ASR Group, which recorded $1.6 billion in revenue last year, our demands for fairness are entirely justified."
ILWU SOLIDARITY
A significant display of labor power is currently unfolding in the San Francisco Bay. A vessel carrying raw sugar from the Philippines remains anchored and unable to offload because Coast Longshore Division workers are standing in solidarity with Local 6, refusing to cross the picket line.
PROTECTING OVERTIME
Workers are fiercely opposing a company proposal to overhaul overtime pay, which could result in a 10% wage reduction. Currently, overtime is paid after an eight-hour shift. While mandatory shifts can reach 12 hours, the company now wants to pay overtime only after 40 hours in a week. Mario Rivas, a crane operator of 10 years, noted that overtime constitutes up to 50% of his take-home pay. "Under this proposal, they can just send you home near 40 hours to avoid paying for your labor," Rivas said. "It is a demotion. They want the same work for less money, which is devastating given the high cost of living in the Bay Area."
BROKEN PROMISES
C&H intends to strip away retiree healthcare benefits from approximately 100 retirees and 20 veteran employees hired before 2008. Kendra Sparks, a 30-year employee, planned to retire at 65 but now faces total uncertainty. "I feel disrespected by this broken promise," Sparks remarked. "Our bodies wear out from decades of physical labor, yet the company offers no reward for that dedication." Her father, Greg Soria, a 40-year veteran of the plant, also stands to lose the benefits he earned through a lifetime of service.
PROTECTING SENIORITY AND FAIR DISPATCH
Management is attempting to dismantle the union’s transparent, seniority-based dispatch system to implement a process where they can handpick individuals for specific jobs. Workers fear this will lead to blatant favoritism. "The company wants the power to advance whoever they like, regardless of experience," Sparks warned. "Our current rotation ensures everyone has an opportunity and that we support one another fairly."
MODEST DEMANDS
Employees emphasize that their goals are simple: maintaining the status quo and securing raises that align with inflation. "The fact that they are proposing these takeaways shows the power they think they have over us," said 11-year employee Emmanuel Loera. Mario Rivas added, "The company does not run without its workers. We just want the respect we have earned for making this business profitable."
UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES
On June 26, Local 6 filed formal charges with the National Labor Relations Board. The charges allege that C&H Sugar engaged in bad-faith tactics, declared a premature impasse, and illegally terminated several striking workers. These allegations of federal law violations are currently under investigation by NLRB Region 32 in Oakland as the strike continues.