The Winnipeg facility is known as the “Bacon Centre of Excellence”
Workers at a pork product production facility in Winnipeg, Man., may be going on strike.
UFCW Local 832, which represents 1,880 workers at Maple Leaf’s facility at 870 Lagimodiere Blvd., received 98 per cent of support for a strike mandate, the union announced on Nov. 15.
This means 1,842 employees voted in favour of a strike mandate.
The union and employer started negotiations in February.
A Sept. 5 update from the negotiating committee indicates workers have around 18 proposals on issues like work hours, overtime, and vacations.
The results of this strike vote show workers won’t accept an unfair offer, said Jeff Traeger, president and CEO of the union.
“This strike vote is a first for this plant, and it’s in response to Maple Leaf’s refusal to take this process seriously so far,” Traeger said in a statement. “The employer is pushing major concessions at the table, and our members have overwhelmingly shown that they are united and want a fair deal.”
The two parties resumed negotiations on Nov. 17, but no details have emerged about the progress of those talks.
Two more bargaining days are planned for Dec. 18 and 19, and the current contract expires on Dec. 31.
UFCW Local 832 workers from Maple Leaf’s 2,000-employee plant in Brandon ratified a new agreement earlier this year.
In January, the two sides finalized a seven-year contract.
Highlights from the new contract include:
- +$4.55 increase to hourly wages and off-shift premiums raised to 85¢ over the life of the agreement
- 30% increase to shift-premiums
- $300,000 in funds to assess and reclassify certain jobs into higher-paying categories
- improved flexibility for using banked overtime
- increased Company contributions into members’ benefits, dental plan and pension