United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. Local 222 (Sioux City, Iowa)

Local 222 was chartered by the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America in 1968 to represent workers at the Iowa Beef Packers plant in Sioux City, which opened in 1966. Local 222 became part of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union in 1979. Each set of contract negotiations with IBP resulted in a strike or a lockout. The first contract was settled after a strike lasting from August 1969 to April 1970. A second strike ran July 1973-January 1974, a third ran February 1977-May 1978, and a fourth from June 1982-October 1982. In December 1986 IBP locked workers out, then in March 1987 IBP reopened the plant but the Local went on strike. Disagreements over a wage freeze and unsafe conditions in the plant prolonged the strike until July 1987.