Iowa Beef Processors Inc said"hundreds" of its employees returned to work at its Dakota
City, Nebraska beef processing plant without incident.
    Last week, Iowa Beef said it would lift a lockout in effect
at the plant since mid-December, which affected 2,800 members
of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.
    Both union and non-union meatpackers who returned to work,
agreed to comply with Iowa Beef's last contract offer.
    "Start-up went well today and operations will continue to
pick up as employees return and others are hired," according to
a company statement. Picketing UFCWU members at the plant did
not disrupt operations, a company spokesman said.
    "Our employees are asked to continue to return to work at
8AM unless otherwise notified," he said.
    Iowa Beef, a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corp, said
it is beginning to take applications for permanent positions at
the plant.
    
 Reuter
