Workers at Western Canada’s largest cattle slaughter plant are back to work after three weeks on the picket line.
Workers at Cargill Food plant in High River, Alta. last week voted 53 percent in favor of the 31/2 year contract that boosts the starting wage by 80 cents to $8.80 an hour.
The biggest obstacle was the length of contract, said Wayne Covey, business agent with United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1118.
The new contract guarantees a 36 hour work week, with some exceptions, and $150 per worker retroactive pay, said Covey, of Calgary.
Workers returned to work Aug. 5. Covey said it was too early to tell how many of the 1,600 employees would return to the beef plant or had found other work.
Barb Isman, Cargill vice-president, said while no one wins in a strike, the company tried to minimize the effect by building up inventory and getting product shipped from sister companies in the United States to fill its orders.
