Strike at Cedar Rapids plant hits 45th day

Pactiv Evergreen workers say they want livable wages

FERN ALLING

The Gazette

CEDAR RAPIDS — A strike at the Pactiv Evergreen plant off Wilson Avenue and Sixth Street SW in Cedar Rapids will reach the 45-day mark Friday.

Workers with UAW Local 1024 began the strike July 28 in response to ongoing contract negotiations with Novolex, the company that bought Pactiv Evergreen in 2025.

The plant produces packaging for liquid food products like refrigerated juice and dairy, according to the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance website.

A couple of weeks before the employees’ union contract ended July 17, UAW Region 4 servicing representative Heather Keag said Novolex held an all-hands meeting with the 54 workers. They were told the company made $9 billion in the last year and that the Evergreen plant had made the most profit for the company.

Despite Novolex’s apparent success, Keag said the wages proposed in its final offer

were insufficient to meet workers’ needs.

“Going out on strike is the last thing that we wanted to do, but the company would not continue to negotiate with us,” Keag said. “Let’s put it this way: Their offer did not keep up with the cost of livi n g .”

Keag said union members voted 38-8 in favor of the strike. The key issues are:

■ Securing livable wages.

■ Increasing company 401(k) contributions above 2%.

■ Keeping the existing vacation time policy instead of adopting a new one that would pay less.

Keag said the plant still is operating but in a limited capacity. Although all the plant employees are UAW members, seven do not pay dues and are working during the strike. Keag said 21 of the striking workers have been informed by Novolex that they’ve been replaced.

The union has tried to continue negotiations and brought in a mediator Aug. 25 and 26, but the company isn’t budging, Keag said. Workers offered to return under the new terms if the replaced workers were rehired, but that offer was rejected.

Novolex did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Keag said the striking workers are standing strong. Even some of those who’ve found jobs elsewhere are still picketing between the hours of 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m .

“We know that the CEOs and the billionaires are still going to be billionaires,” Keag said. “We don’t want to be billionaires. We just want a fair living wage for these members, so that they can support their families and have a decent livi n g .”

Anyone interested in donating food, toiletries and other necessities to the striking workers can drop items off at the UAW Local 1024 hall, 619 20th Ave. SW in Cedar Rapids.

Fern Alling is a general assignment reporter forThe Gazette. They can be reached at fern. alling@thegazette.com or (319) 398-8331.

Workers (from left) Joseph Lee, Mike Burnell and Heather Keag wave as drivers honk their horns July 28 in support of the UAW Local 1024 strike at the Pactiv Evergreen plant on WIlson Avenue and Sixth Street SW in Cedar Rapids. “We were having negotiations with the company, and we just couldn’t come to an agreement on a couple of issues, such as wages, vacation and retirement,”Keag said.“The membership decided that they wanted to strike.”

MICHAEL BANIEWICZ/THE GAZETTE