“It sends a strong message:” After a vote Thursday, Mountaire’s Selbyville plant will be union free

DELAWARE– For the first time since 1977, the Selbyville processing plant will be union free.

This is after Mountaire employees from the Selbyville plant, who are members of the Teamsters Union Local 355, voted to remove the union Thursday. That vote was 140 to 29 to decertify it and the election becomes official once it’s certified by the National Labor Relations Board in the coming weeks.

The Director of Communications at Mountaire said this has been a long time coming. Employees will now be eligible for their benefits packages, including their 401K and profit sharing. They also will not have to pay union dues.

“This doesn’t happen everyday in manufacturing companies with unions, so it sends a strong message,”  Catherine Bassett, Director of Communications and Community Relations, said. “This is something that they really wanted, that they’ve tried for a few times and through clerical errors and different things like that they never really had a chance to have their voices heard.”

We’re told getting rid of the union will also simplify some of the work the company has to do.