Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL (http://www.nyse.com/about/listed/lcddata.html?ticker=HRL)) is probably best known as the producer of SPAM luncheon meat.

The company was founded as Geo. A. Hormel & Company in Austin, Minnesota by George A. Hormel in 1891. The company changed its name to Hormel Foods Corporation 102 years later.

Hormel sells food under the Jennie-O, Dinty Moore, Stagg, and Carapelli brands, as well as under its own name.

The Hormel internal newsletter is titled The Squeal, for obvious reasons.

1985 strike

In 1985, workers at Hormel went on the Austin Hormel Strike in Austin, Minnesota at the Hormel headquarters. Frustrated by low wages and dangerous conditions, they started one of the largest strikes of the 1980s. The strike began in August of 1985, with the sanction of the International level of the Union, P-9. The local chapter of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union P-9 led the strike, but was not supported by their parent union. After six months, a significant number of the strikes crossed the picket line prompting riots in Austin. On January 21, 1986, the Governor of Minnesota, Rudy Perpich, called in the National Guard to protect the returning workers. The action had more effect on the national union which ousted the local P-9 and the strike was ended in June 1986, making with a total of 10 months. Over 700 of the workers did not return to their jobs, refusing to cross the picket line as some had chosen to do. The company took this all easily and simply hired new workers at lower wages.

External link

• Official website (http://www.hormel.com)