A second Cargill meat processing facility, this one in Calgary, faces a possible labour disruption following a strike vote on June 10. Union employees, represented by the UFCW 401, voted 100 per cent in favour of a strike.
The Calgary Case Ready plant is a further processing facility. If a stoppage occurs, the union says workers plan to not only picket at the facility, but also do “secondary picketing” at retail stores that carry Cargill meat products, including Wal-Mart, Safeway, Superstore.
“Secondary picketing at the retail stores will be the action that will put the most pressure on Cargill to give workers a fair contract offer that addresses their needs,” says Chris O’Halloran, executive director for UFCW Local 401. “It is also the most fun part of picketing.”
The union says this strike is about higher wages to keep up with the rapidly increasing cost of living. “We have bargaining dates scheduled with the company, but there is a very real possibility that we will ultimately go on strike,” the union says on its website.
“If this happens, it will be our first affordability crisis strike, an action that could set a precedent for future fights for workers’ rights and fair contracts that address people’s needs at workplaces such as Safeway, Superstore, JBS, Olymel, and Cargill’s plant in High River,” the union says.
Further bargaining sessions for the workers at the Calgary Case Ready plant are scheduled for June 20 and 21.
Workers at Cargill’s Guelph beef slaughter facility have been on strike since May 27, 2024. The Cargill plant is the largest beef cattle processor in Ontario, with a 1,500 head per day capacity, and employing over 950 workers.
Related: Beef Farmers of Ontario call for end to Cargill strike
