American Crystal Sugar employees in North Dakota, who have been locked out of their jobs sine August 2011, are asking the state Supreme Court to allow them unemployment benefits. The workers say that the law only applies to strikes or work stoppages implemented by workers, not a lockout by the company. About 400 of the 1,300 workers who were locked out live in North Dakota. Workers in Minnesota and Iowa have been allowed to receive unemployment benefits. If the workers win, they could receive around $4 million in benefits. American Crystal Sugar has been using replacement workers to run its factories.
See "Locked-out workers seeking jobless benefits", Dale Wetzel, The Jamestown Sun, September 18, 2012