Workers at Maple Leaf’s hog slaughtering plant have voted to reject a mediator’s report despite threats by the company owner he’ll close the plant if the workers strike.
“The company is saying they’re going to shut down the plant anyway so what do the workers have to lose,” said John Ventura, business representative for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 312A.
Maple Leaf Food’s owner Michael McCain has made it clear he’s looking for a new home to replace the aging 91-year old Edmonton plant somewhere in the Prairies.
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“The workers are saying if he’s going to shut it down then let’s get what we can,” said Ventura, who represents the 859 unionized workers.
A day before the strike a letter from McCain to workers said: “If the mediator’s report is rejected and a strike occurs, Maple Leaf will close the plant in Edmonton, it will never re-open, and you will lose the benefit of the current collective agreement.
“No decision has been made about the location of our new plant. If you vote against the offer, then you will be speeding up the schedule for plant closing.
“Your choices on Thursday are very clear: Accept the mediator’s recommendation and continue working, or reject the mediator’s recommendation, strike, and the plant will be closed permanently,” he wrote.
The workers voted 60 percent in favor of rejecting the mediator’s agreement which recommended an 84 cents an hour increase over three years.
Ventura said the workers rejected the agreement over more than just wages. The report never made it clear which employees would get the wage increase and it never addressed pension and benefit concerns. The workers are looking for parity with other packing plant workers.
The decision to reject the proposal doesn’t mean the workers are set to walk out. There is a 14-day cooling off period, and then workers can take a strike vote. Workers can go on strike 72 hours after the vote.
Ventura hopes both sides will use that time to get back to the bargaining table.
Officials with Maple Leaf were not available for comment.
Greg Whalley, vice-president of corporate affairs with Fletcher’s Fine Foods, said his company hasn’t geared up to take additional hogs if there is a strike at Maple Leaf, its main competitor in the province.
“Our guess is there will be more discussions. At this time it’s posturing and strategy. I think the union is doing their job to get the best possible deal they can for their members and I think the company is doing their job to get the best possible deal for them,” said Whalley, of Vancouver.
In the event of a strike, Fletcher’s has the capacity to add a second shift and slaughter 40,000 hogs a week.
Whalley said Fletcher’s is not interested in absorbing extra hogs for the short term. It would expect producers to give the company some kind of long-term commitment to deliver their hogs to the Red Deer plant.
Some producers now hauling to Maple Leaf have called Fletcher’s asking to deliver hogs if there is a strike at Maple Leaf.
“We’ve said as much as possible we’ll try to help you but we’re looking for long-term relationships and are committed and dedicated to the people who have made those commitments to us.”
