Maple Leaf Pork/UFCW 401 Negotiations Update

Mediation commences

With the assistance of a mediator, appointed by the Government of Alberta, your Union Negotiating Committee resumed contract negotiations with the company on July 10 and 11. The goal of the mediation process is to try to bring the parties closer together in hopes of reaching a settlement offer that you can vote on.

Outstanding issues

There are several monetary items that remain outstanding, which your committee continues pushing for. This includes wage increases, improvements to the pension plan (with the potential to move to a different but more lucrative plan), increases to benefit coverage, as well as a number of other monetary items you have indicated are important.

Unfortunately, we have been unable to make headway on some other issues. For example, the company continues to push for changes to the 37-hour guarantee, along with vacation entitlement.

Your committee continues to remain firm that the membership is not interested in concessionary proposals. Our goal is to bring the best offer possible for you to vote on. Concessions are not part of this picture without major gains in exchange. 

Ongoing discussions

It is our hope that with the assistance of the mediator, your committee will be able to bring you an offer to vote on in the coming weeks. As part of this effort, we have been able to free up an additional day next week to continue contract talks.  

While we currently have dates on hold on October 23-26, we will also be meeting with the company on August 1 to try to move things along.

Your continued support of your Negotiating Committee has been extremely helpful, and we ask for your strength and your unity in the days and weeks ahead. 

In Solidarity,

Your Union Negotiating Committee:
Devin Yeager, Spokesperson
Cam Howey, Union Labour Relations Officer
Numa Castaneda
Antonio Castrodes Jr.
Mark Heitman
James Paulson
Carie Swatske

Posted on: July 28,2023