Effective April 13, Cargill’s protein facility at London, Ont., will wind down and temporarily idle processing due to COVID-19 impacts on the community.
The poultry processing facility says as they work in partnership with the union, employees will receive a weekly guarantee of 36 hours of pay, as they reinforce the importance of adhering to provincial stay-at-home orders. They have encouraged employees who are sick or have been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 in the last 14 days to stay home.
Cargill has also offered up to 80 hours of additional paid leave related to COVID-19.
Derek Hill, general manager for the London, Ont., location says their focus is on continuing to keep employees safe and getting the facility back to normal operations.
“This was a difficult decision for our team who are operating an essential service and are committed to delivering food for families across Canada and ensuring the resilience of our supply chain,” Hill explains. “But ultimately, our employee’s safety and well-being come first. They are everyday heroes on the frontlines of our food system. In addition to continuing implementation of our extensive safety protocols, we are working closely with local health departments, public health office, and other strategic partners in all communities where it operates to help facilitate vaccinations as soon as supplies are available.”
Safety measures that have been in place for the last few months will remain in place when Cargill resumes full operations.
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