Today in San Antonio, Texas, workers at the C.H.  Guenther & Son Inc. flour mill gave up on federal mediation as a way to resolve the workplace issues that have resulted in a strike that has lasted four weeks so far.

Both Sides Attempted Mediation

At issue were the costs associated with continuing to provide workers at the mill with health and retirement benefits.  According to Steve Phillips, the senior vice president of corporate services at Guenther, "Neither side was willing to move."

140 employees are covered by the collective bargaining agreement, a three-year contract entered into a little over a year ago.  Teamsters Local 657 is representing the workers. 

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service had tried to intervene in order to resolve the dispute, which involves a 50-cent-per-hour wage increase.  At the same time, however, the workers' share of medical costs would double and health insurance premiums would more than triple, circumstances that would quickly overtake the offered 50-cent raise.  In fact, workers on the family health plan are projected to earn $4.00 less each week should the agreement go into effect. 

The mediation session lasted only a single hour before workers gave up on the strategy.

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