Sofina Foods Poultry Workers Vote to Accept Improved Contract

November 17, 2020 – Edmonton – Workers at the Edmonton turkey processing plant have accepted the latest company offer for a new and improved Collective Agreement by a vote of 89%.

This round of bargaining was very challenging for members of the union’s bargaining committee, which was made up of workers in various departments and classifications throughout the plant.

“The company was looking for significant cost relief, and the members on the bargaining committee did a fantastic job holding strong to their principles, not only fending off concessions, but securing improvements,” said UFCW 401 negotiator Michelle Cahill.

The 5-year deal includes wage increases and retroactive pay back to the expiration of the last Collective Agreement in April 2019.

The committee also achieved improvements to annual increases for live haul trips, shift premiums, and an increase to meal allowances. They also secured a new premium for blast freezer workers, as well as reimbursement for drivers’ medical exams.

“It was an honour to work with these committee members,” Michelle says fondly. “It was clear this set of negotiations was all about their coworkers and not just about themselves.”

Congratulations to everyone on your new, improved Collective Agreement. Your bargaining committee was proud to represent each and every one of you and it showed!

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 401 is Alberta’s largest private-sector union with 32,000 members working in diverse sectors of the Alberta economy, including food processing, retail, education, entertainment, healthcare, and hospitality.

Posted on: November 16,2020