(Radio Iowa) – Union workers at the Kemps dairy plant in Le Mars are on strike. The employees voted a week ago to authorize a strike and gave Kemps until Wednesday to make a new contract offer. Adrian Macias (muh-SEE-us), recording secretary and organizer for Teamsters Local five-54 (554), says Kemps made an offer Thursday for the plant’s 200 employees.

The strike began at six o’clock last (Thursday) night.

A majority of employees at the plant voted to join the Teamsters in December and union representatives have been negotiating with the company since March. Macias says a Zoom meeting with the company is scheduled for one o’clock today (Friday).

Kemps is a subsidiary of Dairy Farmers of America. The cooperative issued a statement, saying it has been negotiating in good faith and is committed to a bargaining process that offers competitive wages and benefits. The Dairy Farmers of America is encouraging the union to return to the bargaining table and is taking steps to continue serving customers, including the local schools. The Kemps plant in Le Mars produces milk, cream, cottage cheese, sour cream, dips and ice cream mix.