Quality Meat Packers Makes Contract Offer to Unionized Employees

Unionized workers at the Quality Meat Packers plant in Toronto were set to vote on a contract offer made by the company on Saturday, November 13, 2004. The offer, which was not disclosed in detail, was the latest development in a labor dispute that had been ongoing since September 7, 2004. The 600 unionized employees, represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 175 union, had been on strike since November 1, 2004, demanding fair wages, pensions, and collective agreement language. The strike had significant implications for the pork industry, with Ontario Pork arranging for an estimated 20,000 hogs to be sent to slaughtering facilities in Canada and the US.

Key Takeaways:

• The Quality Meat Packers plant in Toronto processes approximately 28,000 hogs per week.
• The unionized employees, represented by the UFCW Local 175, had been on strike since November 1, 2004, demanding fair wages, pensions, and collective agreement language.
• The company made a contract offer to its 600 unionized employees, which will be voted on Saturday, November 13, 2004.
• On October 28, 2004, workers voted down the employer's previous offer.
• Ontario Pork has made arrangements for the hogs that would have been delivered to the plant next week, and an estimated 20,000 hogs will likely be sent to various plants in the US.
• The two sides hope to come to an agreement on a new collective agreement sooner rather than later.

Statistics:

• The Quality Meat Packers plant in Toronto processes approximately 28,000 hogs per week.
• 600 unionized employees, represented by the UFCW Local 175, are involved in the labor dispute.
• Estimated 20,000 hogs will be sent to various plants in the US next week, which would be well above the amount normally sent at this time of year.

Sources:

• Resource News International via COMTEX
• Ontario Pork
• United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 175 union