Cargill Calgary strike hits holding pattern

Glacier FarmMedia—The chance of a possible strike at Cargill’s Case Ready Plant in Calgary is looming large, but it’s not yet clear if workers are headed to the picket lines.

Strike votes were held on June 5-6.

“We had 84 per cent of the plant come out, so 341 of the people came out to vote on the strike ballot,” said Chris O’Halloran, executive director of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 401, which represents workers at the plant.

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Results, however, have not yet been released. Cargill is objecting to votes cast by people on parental leave or those receiving benefits from the Worker’s Compensation Board, the union has said.

As a result, ballots remained sealed going into the weekend June 7.

Those objections covered about 34 eligible voters, the union said.

“The union feels it’s discriminatory to say somebody who is on maternity leave should not have the right to vote and participate in their contract negotiations,” said O’Halloran.

The labour board will now rule on whether those contested ballots should be opened and counted. That decision will be brought forward at a June 12 meeting.

The Cargill Case Ready plant produces counter ready meat. The meat comes from the Cargill beef processing plant in High River, Alta., and is cut, weighed and bagged at the Cargill Case Ready plant.

Worker issues include pay, lack of guaranteed hours and overtime, the union has said.

Ontario strike

A strike at the Cargill Dunlop Drive facility in Guelph is nearing the two-week mark. Nearly 1,000 workers at the beef processing plant went on strike at the end of May. The plant processes nearly 80 per cent of Ontario’s cattle.

Craig McLaughlin of the Beef Farmers of Ontario said everyone in that province is already feeling the impact, but feedlots are using other outlets to slaughter market ready animals.

The union workers at the Cargill Dunlop Drive facility have been without a contract since the beginning of 2024.