DECATUR, ILLINOIS, US — Members of Teamsters Local 916 at ADM have gone on strike at the company’s Decatur, Illinois, US, location. The workers oversee the co-generation plant that provides energy for the facility. ADM has objected to a request for a 12% wage increase over the course of three years, said Bruce Lowe, an operations technician at the Decatur facility.

“We have offered an extremely competitive proposal to union membership at our co-generation facility in Decatur and continue to negotiate in good faith with the union, which represents fewer than 50 of our nearly 5,000 colleagues in Decatur,” an ADM spokesperson said. “We have a robust plan in place to maintain production levels until we can reach a satisfactory resolution.”

Teamsters Local 916 is made up of over 4,000 workers in the state of Illinois.

“ADM is refusing to offer these workers wages and benefits on par with what union members receive at other union facilities, which is a slap in the face,” said J.P. Fyans, president of Local 916. “We all know the real reason the company is doing this. When these workers get a contract, non-union ADM staff will hear about it and want to join the Teamsters. ADM needs to stop the union-busting and start showing some respect to the people who are responsible for its prosperity.”