BROOKS, Alta. – A $9.8 million agreement between Lakeside Packers in Brooks and the federal government should save 900 jobs jeopardized by the beef crisis in Canada.
Jane Stewart, federal minister of human resources development, made the announcement June 13. It is the country’s largest work-sharing agreement and takes effect June 15. Funds are available for 26 weeks.
The nearly 2,500 workers at the southern Alberta plant will work half time with employment insurance benefits covering the rest of their weekly wage for a total of 40 hours per week. It prevents layoffs.
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Since the diagnosis of bovine spongiform encephalopathy last month, jobs in packing plants, feedlots, trucking companies and auction markets have been threatened when Canada’s international beef commerce stopped.
The Brooks plant cut back meat production to satisfy only domestic needs and offered employees vacation time to avoid layoffs.
“There have been many reports about the BSE crisis. But we are not really talking about cattle. The real issue here is people,” said company vice-president Brent Altwasser.
Lakeside is southeastern Alberta’s largest employer, with people coming to the plant from Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, Brooks and surrounding smaller communities.
Altwasser said the company wants to promote beef sales and maintain its trained workforce, which has remained nonunionized. The plant is owned by Arkansas-based Tyson Foods. It processes one third of all beef in Canada.
Later that day the minister travelled to Regina and announced nearly $2.9 million was available for 15 work-sharing agreements in the province. These agreements have helped avert 406 layoffs and involve 774 employees in total.
Heartland Livestock Services, owned by Nilsson Bros. Inc., signed the largest agreement for $435,830 to avert laying off 53 employees.
As well, the Alberta government has announced a short-term training program for laid-off workers on June 12. The program offers workplace health and safety training until the workers are able to receive EI benefits.
In total, the program should cost about $1 million and is expected to be available to eligible workers June 15.
At Cargill Foods’ packing plant in High River, Alta., 400 people have been laid off and are eligible for training programs.
About 500 Albertans have been laid off since May 20.
