Agreement reached at Guelph Cargill plant

Glacier FarmMedia—After a 41-day strike, workers at the Cargill Dunlop beef processing plant in Guelph will return to work  today.

Nearly 1,000 unionized employees at Cargill Dunlop in Guelph ratified a new collective agreement on Saturday July 6. The workers, represented by Local 175 of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW), began strike action after turning down a deal on May 26.

The UFCW said in a release the new agreement includes:

• Wage increases totalling $3.75 per hour over the course of the agreement, which includes $2 per hour in the first year. That $2 will be paid retroactive for all hours worked, including overtime, since January 1, 2024. In addition, members receive a contract renewal incentive payment in the form of a $500 lump sum.

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• Dental coverage improves to $2,000 per year, and members also benefit from the removal of lifetime caps on a number of dental services.
• Short Term Disability (STD) now has a maximum of 70 per cent and will provide up to $143 more per week. This means members can receive up to $668 per week while on STD leave.
• Bereavement leave entitlement for members will now be five days, up from four, for the death of a spouse, child, or parent.

The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) said in a statement it is relieved to hear that an agreement has been reached between Cargill Guelph and Union officials. “We will continue to monitor as the facility reopens and returns to normal operation,” the BFO said.

Cargill’s Guelph facility processes approximately 75 per cent of the cattle in Ontario and plays a significant role in the Ontario beef supply chain. The Cargill Guelph Dunlop facility fills 67 per cent of the federally inspected processing capacity in eastern Canada, according to the BFO.

—Updated to say workers return to work today.