The Canadian Labour Congress has called for a boycott of Maple Leaf products to pressure the company to negotiate a fair settlement with its employees.
Almost 2,300 Canadian Maple Leaf Meats workers are on strike or locked out as bargaining between the UFCW and the company has broken down. More than 475 workers have been locked out for months in North Battleford and Hamilton. As well, 750 employees in Edmonton and 900 in Burlington are on strike.
While the details vary from plant to plant, the disputes are about corporate greed and the abuse of power. The company is hugely profitable. Yet it is demanding $6.00 to $9.00 per hour roll backs in wages and benefits from its Burlington employees. It wants to dock Edmonton workers for washroom breaks and deny Hamilton workers, who earn $10.90 per hour, a pension plan.
Maple Leaf markets meat products, baked goods and groceries under such brand names as Burns, Swift, Shopsy’s, Canada Bread, Dempsters, Tenderflake, Olivieri, Country Style and Shur-Gain.