Foster Farms increases wages for Kelso, WA team
Entry-level wage increased to $19 per hour.
Effective this week, Foster Farms increased wages for all Kelso, Washington, processing facility TEAM Members, with the entry-level wage increased to $19 per hour. Kelso TEAM Members also qualify for a comprehensive health care plan, as well as disability and life insurance coverage. Foster Farms had also proposed improving additional TEAM Member benefits including those related to vacation and holidays, but the United Food and Commercial Workers declined to re-open the existing collective bargaining agreement to discuss those proposals. The company is always looking for enhancements to the workplace environment, keeping TEAM member safety top of mind.
“We want to hire and retain the best talent,” said Jason Gentemann, Foster Farms’ Kelso Complex manager. “That means ensuring that wages and benefits are competitive in our industry and our community, particularly at a time when we are all being impacted by a challenging economy,” he added. The Foster Farms Kelso facility employs 720 TEAM Members and is currently hiring to fill approximately 300 open roles in different shifts.
Foster Farms initiated a similar wage increase program at its Livingston, California, facility in early July.
“Competitive wages and benefits, along with an emphasis on TEAM member safety and training, are the building blocks of a culture nobody wants to walk away from,” added Arturo Towns, chief human resource officer. “This is what we want to create across the entire company.”
Source: Foster Farms
Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!
