Maple Leaf workers at Winnipeg plant vote in favour of strike

Maple Leaf Consumer Foods Inc. workers in Winnipeg could go on strike in the new year.

The 1,880 production workers at the company’s Lagimodiere Boulevard plant are members of UFCW Local 832. They recently voted 98 per cent in favour of strike authorization following more than six months of contract talks around pay, benefits and working conditions.

The strike vote was a first for the Winnipeg plant, according to a news release from the union. Seventy-three per cent of eligible workers cast a ballot Nov. 12-15. Their contract expires Dec. 31.

“It’s a fairly long list of things that we’re trying to achieve at the bargaining table and the reason why we took the strike vote is that the employer has not been responding favourably to our requests or they have not been responding to some of our requests,” said Jeff Traeger, union president and lead negotiator.

The two parties have been bargaining since April 30. The union brought around 80 proposals to the table while Maple Leaf brought another 20 or so, Traeger said.

The workers are in jobs that used to be paid well above the hourly minimum wage, he said, but the Manitoba government has raised the minimum wage by a total of $3.30/hr since the most recent contract went into effect at the beginning of 2020.

“They’re looking to get that spread back that they lost,” Traeger said.

He added the cost of living has increased over the last six years, decreasing workers’ purchasing power.

Additionally, workers — who produce and package pork products — have concerns about their pension plans and health benefits, and would like more frequent breaks and job rotation to reduce repetitive strain injuries.

“This is a very difficult job,” Traeger said, adding union members are working in a cold environment and doing repetitive work that in some cases involves the use of various knives.

The union’s bargaining committee is made up of seven members from a variety of departments at the plant and three staff members from the union. The committee has been working toward the new contract since February.

“They feel as though they did the company very well by coming to work during a pandemic and that they should be treated very well now that we’re back at the bargaining table, I think they’re determined, I think that they are united and I think that they’re also cautiously optimistic that their strike vote is going to bring them a better deal,” Traeger said.

Maple Leaf Foods did not make anyone available for an interview.

“Maple Leaf Foods continues to negotiate with Local 832 to try to arrive at a fair agreement,” the company said in a statement. “We respect the collective bargaining process and we will continue to negotiate in good faith.”

Founded in 1927, Maple Leaf Foods is headquartered in Mississauga, Ont. The company employs 10,000 people across 19 plants and offices in Canada and the U.S., according to the company’s website. The company did $4.9 billion in sales last year.

The Lagimodiere Boulevard plant is labelled by the company as its Bacon Centre of Excellence.

aaron.epp@freepress.mb.ca