Image by Mehmet Cetin, Shutterstock
After contract negotiations broke down, nearly 1,000 workers went on strike at the Cargill Dunlop beef facility in Guelph, Ontario.
According to the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 175, 82 percent of workers at the Dunlop facility rejected a proposed settlement offered by the company, prompting employees to start picketing on May 27.
Cargill stated that its proposed settlement included a wage increase each year over the four-year agreement, totaling more than a 9.3 percent increase, with back pay dating to January 1, 2024. According to Cargill, the offer also included benefit enhancements and a signing bonus.
In April, members gave their union negotiating committee a 99 percent strike mandate.
Workers say that the Cargill Dunlop facility, a beef slaughter plant, has workers operating in a hot, fast-paced environment. The Union Negotiating Committee highlighted several issues during negotiations, including the rising cost of living and the removal of a $2 per hour pandemic pay increase while COVID-19 was still ongoing.
Cargill is a global corporation with 155,000 employees in 70 countries and regions, that claims to be “working to nourish the world.” However, workers accuse the company of failing to present an offer that adequately supports its own employees.
“Our members at Cargill Dunlop are an integral part of a vital supply chain that helps keep food on the table for people every day,” said Kelly Tosato, president of UFCW Local 175. “The decision to go on strike is never easy, but these members aren’t satisfied with what the company has brought to the table. And we will have their backs until their Union Negotiating Committee can achieve a deal that reflects the nature of their hard work and commitment to creating quality food products that feed hundreds of thousands.”
After the union strike, Cargill provided a statement to MEAT+POULTRY expressing its disappointment with the outcome.
“Our proposed agreement, which the union bargaining committee unanimously recommended as a comprehensive proposal, honors the tremendous skill and dedication of our Guelph workforce in feeding families across Canada,” the company said. “We are concerned about the hardships a labor disruption will pose to our employees and our customers. We will be working with the union on next steps once we hear more from them.”
Cargill also indicated that production will be shifted to other facilities to avoid supply chain disruptions.