Crystal accepts frost-damaged beets for first time
November 2, 2012 at 1:45 am in Grand Forks Herald
With 89 percent of its planted acres safely harvested and piled, American Crystal Sugar Co. on Thursday implemented a new “frost quota,” allowing at least a small percentage of frost-damaged beets in the far north to be brought in. Continue Reading
Must be related to the lock out.
Hot debate. What do you think?
52 
60
Anytime something changes at Crystal Sugar in the future, union folks like yourself will say exactly that. Nice try.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
75 
25
Exactly!
Hot debate. What do you think?
13 
17
Otis isn’t union. His comment was misunderstood. I believe what he meant was when anything else has gone wrong the union has made a comment stating something like: “This wouldn’t have happened had we been in there.”
It will be nice to get to a point where the labor dispute at ACS is behind us and the people of the RRV can celebrate the harvest as a community once again.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
76 
9
Thank you devilschild. Next time I will make sure to state that it is sarcasm!
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
33 
1
The replacements must be far superior employees to be able to handle beets that are damaged and make a sugar product out of them.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
83 
25
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
14 
67
According to the article 1/4 of the northern beets are still in the ground. They are just trying to harvest everything possible to increase the profit margin. They will be ok leaving the northern chunk in the ground since the southern harvest was pretty good this year.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
42 
10
With beets being used from stock piles that are frozen why does it matter that some are frost damaged?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
33 
7
They don’t keep as well but I would imagine they will use them first.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
41 
1
when beets are put in pile frost damaged they create heat during the healing process, in doing so if in a pile they rot. When they are put in the pile healthy, do the slow freeze as air temps cool down, the beet is already in a state of dormancy for storage.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
27 
0
Thanks….I was wondering about that myself. I figured it had to be less complicated than peeling away the outer layers to get to the warmer layers below.
Not really sure why this is a topic article though, but it’s a change finally….Some of the topics have been on there a while
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
20 
2
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
21 
50
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
20 
53
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
25 
56
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
25 
52
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
20 
48
That’s nothing new, they do that every year. It has nothing to do with labor.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
24 
7
Is it “good economics” to *too generously* compensate a workforce? If it is, why doesn’t everyone jump on the bandwagon?
On a more personal level, is it “good economics” to not objectively consider what your leverage is before making a decision at contract vote time? I guess another way of asking the same question would be to inquire as to which course of action would likely result in “good economics” for an individual or a household? A vote based upon facts/conditions/objectivity, or….a vote based upon emotion?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
59 
15
Your statment could be applied equally to the ACSC board of directors.
The way I see it nothing in the contract is worth the cost to either side.
Hot debate. What do you think?
27 
18
Paul, ignorance must be truly bliss. If you were to read and do a little more digging in the same source, you would also see that crystal never draws on that line of credit. They merely have it as an insurance policy to cover the beet payment.
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/4828/000110465912073632/a12-25975_18k.htm
I’m sure you will come at me with some other misguided theory. I’ll wait for your reply and set you straight on how a farming cooperative works and why lines of credit are needed as a back-up.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
38 
8
Paul,
Have you had to increase your borrowing since you are no longer an over compensated union worker? Or are you getting by just fine working your new, permanent job? Are you tired of working a job that only pays you what you’re worth and ready to approve the contract offered by ACSC? Or, are you one of the ones that will never get to work a ACSC again no matter what happens?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
33 
14
Bob
Thanks for asking. As a matter of fact I have paid down debt thanks to the job I have had since March. It turns out Crystal was getting a pretty good deal on me as I am making 11% more than I was there. I would never vote to approve the contract as it is written and will not go back even if Crystal came to their senses and negotiated. So I won’t be going back, by my choice, not theirs.
Hot debate. What do you think?
20 
22
“It turns out Crystal was getting a pretty good deal on me as I am making 11% more than I was there. I would never vote to approve the contract as it is written”
How do your current benefits compare to the old contract, and….how does your current place of employment compare as far as guarantees/seniority/work rules/etc. go? Have you discovered yet that NONE of the oh-so-horrible conditions of the contract you’d “never vote to approve as written” are out of the ordinary whatsoever?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
35 
8
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
13 
23
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
20 
35
You are right, there economics is almost as bad as turning down a contract with a pay raise and sitting out on a corner with a cardboard sign. Has the signs gone from “Union Power” to “Will Work For Food” yet?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
65 
18
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
14 
41
Funny think, OK, is that of the 40,000 only 1300 are unhappy. Of those 1300, a portion of them are allowed to vote and keep the rest of the workers, who want to go back, off the job. My question to you, how are the rest of your union brothers and sisters going to feel when the sugar bill doesn’t get passed? If you have the pull you claim, my guess is that you may have some not so happy union siblings because you would not accept pay raises and reseaonable health care insurance. As part of a 40,000 strong union, who do you think will be pleased?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
41 
14
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
12 
42
How will it affect other sugar factories? Didn’t the BCTGM union workers in Sidney, MT vote on a similiar contract in april and accept it? Maybe I’m wrong and their contract is different, but isn’t it funny how that after the union in the valley got locked out, they had no problem with the same union in montana accepting a contract with the same raises and healthcare reforms as this contract?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
24 
3
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
22 
51
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
14 
30
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
11 
34
Jeff, there was a piece about the how disfunctional the Senate is last night on 60 Min. You should watch it, it shows how the Senate is unable to accomplish a thing because they only tote the party line. I have yet to see an intelligant comment from you in over a year. The only thing you can comment on is Fox, or Faux, like you usually use and Republicans. A challenge to you is to actually look at a subject, ACS lockout or something else, and actually look at the situation and develop an original thought instead of just repeating political propaganda.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
36 
7
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
16 
34
“Really bugs you, doesn’t it?”
What bugs me Paul, is once again you failed to answer a question that made you uncomfortable. Kid yourself all you want, but if you’re employed around here you aren’t now earning 11% more and also still have a similar benefit package. You also aren’t completely happy with your current situation and as a result have completely “moved on”. The posts you continue to make, (like your pseudo-expose’ with the SEC link above), make it abundantly clear you’re still upset that your former employer had the unimaginable gall to tell you exactly who occupies the driver’s seat. If all of this HAS resulted in you moving into better situation, then why do your posts continue to absolutely reek of sour grapes?
As far as never going back to ACS goes, you can pretend that you’re taking a stand of some sort and that you’re not going back because you’re so principled, but it would be more accurate to just suck it up and admit you’re not going back because you’ve invested so much time and effort to prove a point….only to be shot down repeatedly.
Back on topic: Otis pointed something out about your SEC link. Are you going to address it?
I asked you a question about your current employment situation. Are you going to address it?
Survey says….probably not.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
34 
10
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Poorly-rated. Like or Dislike:
12 
25
“I’m so upset with myself for acknowledging you two and I really need to quit doing that.”
Nice “out” Paul. From now on, your “out” means you don’t have to back up anything you post. Well played….unfortunately it’s also incredibly obvious.
If you want to be upset with yourself about anything, perhaps it ought to be the “message board leadership role” you established over the course of this situation. You posted lots of “facts” that were easily disputed. Since your “facts” were things certain people WANTED to believe though, you received “likes” aplenty. Rather than doing some reading/thinking/understanding on their own, a whole lot of people piled onto your bandwagon, believed just about anything you felt the urge to toss out, and….regurgitated it to others.
Look at how well it’s worked out for them.
Congrats.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
24 
9
“The comment I made on Crystal going to the bank is an opinion, something I believe I am entitled to.”
Yes you are entitled to your opinion, but that’s not how you stated it in your post. Along with a reference you stated “Looks like Crystal’s a little short of money, they had to increase their borrowing authority with the banks.” Nothing in that comment reflects an opinion. By referring to the SEC you imply that Crystal is short of money.
As far as acknowledging me, you opened the door by posting. I have not attacked you personally only questioning the facts. You may think that my comment about you not voting again on the contract was an attack, far from it. It is merely logical. You stated you had an better job paying more, why would you go back to Crystal.
Not wanting to give details about the benefits of your current employment, I can respect that. I think it would be good to show the people that there is something better out there. I do think that my questions are relevant and go right to the heart of the sticking points of this dispute.
Ultimately, “Is Crystal in line with other companies regarding the issues of benefits and seniority?”
Like or Dislike:
17 
6
“I will never vote for that contract”… Why? What is in there that is holding up the contract negotiations?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
30 
4
He will never vote for that contract because he is now employed by a company that pays him 11% more.
It would be interesting to know:
Is a Union shop?
Is he getting healthcare?
If so is he paying more than $78/month for a family? ($38/month for single)
Is his ability to move up based solely on the amount of time he is on the job?
Did he have to move out of the area to find the new job?
If he did have to move, isn’t he taking a job of someone in that local community?
Just a few questions off the top of my head.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
32 
8
Also…is the $2.20 an hour more cover the cost of extra driving?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
25 
4