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The president of the local Teamsters Union said striking workers at Nestle Purina PetCare’s plant in South Whitehall Township will vote Wednesday on the company’s latest offer.
“We received a counter offer, and we’ll be voting on that tomorrow, hopefully to resolve the outstanding issues,” Teamsters Local 773 President Dennis Hower told The Morning Call on Tuesday morning. He said the issues mostly are wages and working conditions.
“I think we’ll get something resolved,” Hower said, “but it’s up to the workers.”
A spokesperson for Nestle Purina was not immediately available for comment.
Workers began the strike March 2 and set up pickets at Route 309 and Pope Road, near the plant’s entrance.
The sides had been bargaining since Feb. 1 over issues including wage increases, pension support and work-life balance.
Of the 568 workers at the plant, 459 belong to the union. The factory produces several brands, including ALPO, Beneful, Beyond, Dog Chow, Friskies, Purina One and Purina Pro Plan. The factory is 700,000 square feet after the most recent, 53,000-square-foot expansion was completed in 2019.
The plant, just north of Allentown, was originally owned by ALPO, which moved to the South Whitehall site from the city in 1958. The water tower is familiar to regular travelers along the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension as a sign that they’ve arrived in the Valley.
ALPO was sold to Liggett & Myers Tobacco Co. in 1964. ALPO was then sold to Nestle SA in 1980. After Nestle acquired Ralston Purina Co. in 2001, the Swiss owner combined the two iconic pet food brands under the name Nestle Purina PetCare Co.
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