Employees of Cincinnati Processing meatpacking company in West Chester voted for a union more than four years ago. Now they're taking their drive for a labor agreement to Kroger shoppers.

        If you buy pork chops or pork loin at a Kroger store in Greater Cincinnati, chances are they were cut at Cincinnati Processing. The union representing the workers want shoppers to know how Cincinnati Processing fits into the financial scheme at Kroger.

        “Kroger ... is risking its good reputation by using a supplier that treats human beings (poorly) ,” said Lennie Wyatt, president of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1099.

        Mr. Wyatt said the 75 or so rank-and-file workers earn $8.60 an hour on average — and don't receive ben efits such as sick pay, life insurance or a pension. They can buy individual health insurance at a reasonable rate, but most can't afford the higher-priced family coverage, Mr. Wyatt said.

        There's about a 40 percent difference between Cincinnati Processing and other packinghouse operations around town, he said.

        The UFCW organized the company's workers in April 1997 and, after several appeals, the National Labor Relations Board certified the result last Nov. 15. Mr. Wyatt said union negotiators have tried since November to reach a labor agreement with the company.

        On Aug. 17, Local 1099 filed a claim with the NLRB accusing Cincinnati Processing of bad-faith bargaining. The claim will be investigated by the LRB's regional office in Cincinnati and, if

        determined to have merit, will be heard by an administrative law judge.

        The company said the allegations are baseless and that it has bargained in good faith. It countered that talks are snagged on the union's insistence that all employees pay union dues.

        “The company has refused to agree to this because no more than a handful of its employees worked for the company when the NLRB election was held in 1997,” Cincinnati Processing said in a statement.

        “And based on reports volunteered by employees, forced payment of union dues is very unpopular with employees,” the statement said.

        The company said employees earned gross annual wages from more than $17,000 to more than $33,000 in 2000 and can purchase individual medical coverage for $1.50 a week. But Mike Matuszak, who left a job as Local 1099's lead negotiator with Cincinnati Processing this month to join the Center for Labor Education and Research at the University of Kentucky, said“only a fraction of the work force is provided health-care coverage. The health-care package they have is affordable, but the company never communicates it to its employees.”

        Kroger spokesman Gary Rhodes confirmed the business relationship between Kroger and Cincinnati Processing, but would not respond to the union's representations.

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