Workers of Creamland Dairy Factory, we of the International Communist Party, salute you with solidarity for your willingness to fight for your living conditions. Your stand here can inspire workers in Albuquerque to take up the fight to defend our wages and by extension the livelihoods of our families. It is always important to know the history of your struggle to understand what you are fighting for. Back in 2019, in the midst of financial ruin, Dean Foods declared bankruptcy and numerous plants around California, Utah, Minnesota, Colorado and New Mexico were sold to Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) for a total of $433 million in 2020. Similarly, Prairie Foods acquired eight plants for a total of $75 million. The DFA, with the mediation of Dean Foods, then demanded that the Teamsters would abstain from asking for increases in wages and benefits as part of this new acquisition. The Teamster’s National body conceded with no fight to “save the company” (why not the 3,300 workers they represented?). The agreement was presented as a way to preserve jobs, wages, health insurance and pensions and was ratified with an 82% approval. In reality, this was done to make the acquisition more attractive for the vultures of DFA and Prairie farms who would only acquire the assets of Dean Foods under such conditions - that is they would only buy if they were able to deprive you of wages and benefits to increase their profits. The results have spoken for themselves for four years; no significant increases have been won, and in many cases, none have been gained at all. From May 2020 to May 2025 inflation has risen by 25% - to put it more bluntly you have had a pay reduction of 25%. DFA had earnings of $756 million last year and no doubt modest profits.

At the end of the agreement in May - the company responded as expected by delaying, rejecting, and slowing down negotiations. On June 3rd, over a thousand of you and your brothers and sisters approved of a strike action, that is the ULP action. The ULP strike could have been a stepping stone to spread the struggle to all DFA facilities under Teamster’s affiliation for a single agreement using the full force of the 1000 members! However, what has happened instead is that in July, Locals in California: 63, 186, 495, 630 and 683 have reached an agreement. In August, Local 222 in Utah and Local 120 in Minnesota, with Local 120 around 50% voting no, reached an agreement. Even Prairie farms facilities under Teamster’s representation could have joined this struggle. The evident strategy of the bosses, in collusion with union leadership, is divide and conquer. Why weren’t all these struggles coordinated with yours? An agreement could have been reached in a few days much like the short strikes of the California and Utah mobilizations. Because of different Wages differentials due to different cost of living? These can easily be discerned in contract language, after all aren’t all contracts slated to have the same expiration dates? Technically without a contract, according to the Teamsters, a work stoppage can happen at any of the 35 facilities. The answer is quite simple: to give concessions smaller than those gained from a coordinated struggle.

For two months, the company was preparing for this strike by mobilizing scabs in the form of temp hires and salaried management from other DFA facilities; as well as to hire company goons in the form of the IPS. Admirably, our class brothers and sisters from other unions have joined the picket lines to show solidarity, but within your local, there have been “members” crossing the picket line delivering products. Where is the solidarity there?

The best and final offer is always a bluff by companies to scare you from waging an actual struggle. Prior to bankruptcy, Dean represented 15% of milk sales from DFA. This acquisition has made them quite the profitable portfolio for their stakeholders (i.e. Money has been gained on your sweat and blood). The $2/hr raise offered is quite meager considering inflation which is trending upwards. At 3%, this is reduced to $1.82/hr in three years. Where Health benefits were paid in full before the acquisition, now workers are forced to pay out of pocket. Drivers for the company are among the lowest paid in the city, with wages around $7/hr lower.

At a bare minimum, wages and benefits should be restored. That’s a 25% increase to salary alone and a return to fully covered health insurance. Drivers should be paid at least the going rate at other facilities. As members are already struggling with living expenses, they will only worsen as we head towards a new economic downturn and possibly a crisis.

The threat of losing jobs can be overcome through linking with other unions across the industry and company boundaries in a coordinated struggle to not just strike, but have a powerful enough strike to win. The only way forward, the only way to protect your jobs, to increase your wages in any meaningful way, is to coordinate your future strike efforts with those of your union brothers and sisters in other locals.