A union official says there won't be mass concessions but there will be new proposals when locked out workers site down for mediated talks with American Crystal Sugar on June eighth. The two sides have not spoken since February. The lockout of 1,300 workers began last August.

U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Representatives Collin Peterson and Tim Walz suggest it is time to bring in a “new high-level mediator” to help Moorhead-based American Crystal Sugar and union workers reach a deal. The four DFL members of Congress sent a letter to leaders on both sides of the yearlong labor dispute on Thursday.

A few locked out workers from American Crystal Sugar were back on the picket line Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of the union lockout by company. More than 1,300 workers from plants in Minnesota, North Dakota and Iowa have been affected by the lockout.

Union leaders and company executives returned to the bargaining table for the first time in more than two months, though they left again without a deal. WDAY reports Crystal Sugar is sticking with what it calls its final offer, but union workers are still worried about some of the contract's wording surrounding job security.

American Crystal’s 13-hundred union workers claimed the company failed to bargain a new contract in good faith. Those workers have now been out of work for more than four months.

The Minnesota-AFL-CIO published a news release saying American Crystal’s bottom line “suffers due to ongoing lockout,” adding that the company's production costs have doubled since the strike began. American Crystal says the labor group's numbers "aren't even in the ballpark."

Talks are set to resume Friday between American Crystal Sugar Co. and 1,300 locked-out union workers. It's been more than four months since the two sides last met. Union spokesman John Riskey told the Associated Press he hopes the company will "cooperate and negotiate." Company spokesman Brian Ingulsrud says the company's last contract offer stands.

The Forum Newspapers has selected David Berg, CEO of American Crystal Sugar as their 'Person of the Year.' Berg is at the center of a dispute between his company and workers which has resulted in a months-long lockout. As you can imagine, workers were less than thrilled to hear the news...