Cargill workers in Ontario on strike

At a vote held May 26, 2024, members of UFCW Local 175 group who work at Cargill’s Dunlop Drive facility in Guelph, Ont., rejected a negotiated settlement by 82 per cent, sending the nearly 1,000 members onto the picket lines.

In April, the members at Cargill Dunlop gave a 99 per cent strike mandate to their union’s negotiating committee.

The committee raised a number of issues at the bargaining table including the increased cost of living, and the $2 per hour pandemic pay that was stopped in the middle of COVID-19.

“Our members at Cargill Dunlop are an integral part of a vital supply chain that helps keep food on the table for people every day,” said Kelly Tosato, president of UFCW Local 175. “The decision to go on strike is never easy but these members aren’t satisfied with what the company has brought to the table. And we will have their backs until their union negotiating committee can achieve a deal that reflects the nature of their hard work and commitment to creating quality food products that feed hundreds of thousands.”

The Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) and the Ontario Cattle Feeders’ Association (OCFA) said in a statement, “We are engaged in the situation and have been in close contact with the Canadian Cattle Association and government representatives as we monitor the impact of the temporary closure of the Dunlop facility. We are hopeful that the negotiations between both parties will come to a swift resolution, and we will keep our members informed as the situation develops.”

The Cargill Dunlop facility employs 950 people and processes 1,500 heads of cattle per day.