
Tentative deal reached in Lakeside Packers strike Canadian Press \|\| November 3, 2005 BROOKS, Alta. -- There was no sense of jubilation along the picket line at Lakeside Packers as word spread Wednesday that a tentative deal had been reached in the three-week-old strike. "I heard rumours that it's not good, that it's still the same as we had before," said one woman, adding it was no cause for celebration. "I figure I've been striking for nothing. Why did we do this in the first place?" Frustration and skepticism are two of the hurdles facing the union as it prepares for Friday's ratification vote in the divisive dispute at Canada's largest slaughterhouse. Doug O'Halloran admits the vote is likely to be extremely close for what could be the union's first contract. Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com "We either need this turned down big or we need it accepted," said O'Halloran, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers local 401. "It won't be voted in by a high majority." Workers will only learn details of the 51-month contract Friday before they cast their vote, but the union notes it falls short of what a government arbitrator recommended last summer. "But it's better than what the company had put out to the workers," said O'Halloran. Not all of Lakeside's 2,100 employees are behind the union. Only 882 people signed up for picket duty once the strike began, while Lakeside officials have said more than 1,100 hourly workers have shown up ready to cross the line every day. When it's running at full capacity, the Lakeside slaughterhouse processes more than 40 per cent of Canada's beef daily. It's continued operating during the strike, although it fell silent for several days when federal meat inspectors and veterinarians refused to cross the picket line out of fear for their safety. Critics blame Alberta's labour legislation in large part for the nasty dispute, which has been punctuated by violent skirmishes. "We had a company from Arkansas that wanted to deal with Albertan and immigrant workers in a way that a lot of Canadians found not only distasteful, but abhorrent," said Dan Backs, labour critic for the provincial Liberals. Lakeside's largely immigrant workforce has given the strike a higher profile than other labour disputes. Its workers embody a mini United Nations, coming from war-torn countries such as Sudan hoping for a better life in southeastern Alberta. Many send parts of their paycheques to family members struggling elsewhere. Despite winter's first blizzard overnight Wednesday, those on the picket line stressed they are not desperate to accept a deal. Some note the strike pay is the same as what they would be making on the kill floor. "If the deal is not the way I want it to be going, I don't want to go into Lakeside without my rights," said Sudanese immigrant Martha Martin, a towering woman who looks like she would be more in place on a fashion runway instead of handling quality control in a packing plant. Lakeside is hopeful the employees will ratify the deal, "because it provides competitive wages and benefits, while helping the economic viability of the plant," manager Chris Borgren said in a news release. "It will also bring this unfortunate labour dispute to an end," Borgren added. Lakeside, owned by U.S.-based Tyson Foods, is the largest single employer in Brooks, a town of 13,000, with an annual payroll of $90 million for 2,400 workers. The union also didn't seek any commitment from Tyson officials that the slaughterhouse will remain in operation after the 51-month contract ends. "We didn't ask them because we don't care," said O'Halloran. "Somebody will buy this plant, somebody will operate this plant," he said. "I'm sure the ranchers and farmers here would like Tyson to screw off back to the U.S. and they would run the plant. They'd run it a lot better and treat the people a lot better." NDP labour critic Ray Martin said the dispute highlights the need for first-contract binding arbitration. "It's obvious our labour laws are distorted and one-sided," said Martin. "We wouldn't have had this strike if we had that in our labour laws." Due to the tentative deal, Lakeside will ask the Alberta Labour Relations Board to postpone Thursday's hearing on forcing workers to vote on the company's offer that union leaders rejected in early October. Home	Weekly Features
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Tentative deal reached in Lakeside Packers strike

Canadian Press || November 3, 2005

BROOKS, Alta. -- There was no sense of jubilation along the picket line at Lakeside Packers as word spread Wednesday that a tentative deal had been reached in the three-week-old strike.

"I heard rumours that it's not good, that it's still the same as we had before," said one woman, adding it was no cause for celebration.

"I figure I've been striking for nothing. Why did we do this in the first place?"

Frustration and skepticism are two of the hurdles facing the union as it prepares for Friday's ratification vote in the divisive dispute at Canada's largest slaughterhouse. Doug O'Halloran admits the vote is likely to be extremely close for what could be the union's first contract.

Article Posted at www.KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

"We either need this turned down big or we need it accepted," said O'Halloran, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers local 401. "It won't be voted in by a high majority."

Workers will only learn details of the 51-month contract Friday before they cast their vote, but the union notes it falls short of what a government arbitrator recommended last summer.

"But it's better than what the company had put out to the workers," said O'Halloran.

Not all of Lakeside's 2,100 employees are behind the union. Only 882 people signed up for picket duty once the strike began, while Lakeside officials have said more than 1,100 hourly workers have shown up ready to cross the line every day.

When it's running at full capacity, the Lakeside slaughterhouse processes more than 40 per cent of Canada's beef daily. It's continued operating during the strike, although it fell silent for several days when federal meat inspectors and veterinarians refused to cross the picket line out of fear for their safety.

Critics blame Alberta's labour legislation in large part for the nasty dispute, which has been punctuated by violent skirmishes.

"We had a company from Arkansas that wanted to deal with Albertan and immigrant workers in a way that a lot of Canadians found not only distasteful, but abhorrent," said Dan Backs, labour critic for the provincial Liberals.

Lakeside's largely immigrant workforce has given the strike a higher profile than other labour disputes. Its workers embody a mini United Nations, coming from war-torn countries such as Sudan hoping for a better life in southeastern Alberta. Many send parts of their paycheques to family members struggling elsewhere.

Despite winter's first blizzard overnight Wednesday, those on the picket line stressed they are not desperate to accept a deal. Some note the strike pay is the same as what they would be making on the kill floor.

"If the deal is not the way I want it to be going, I don't want to go into Lakeside without my rights," said Sudanese immigrant Martha Martin, a towering woman who looks like she would be more in place on a fashion runway instead of handling quality control in a packing plant.

Lakeside is hopeful the employees will ratify the deal, "because it provides competitive wages and benefits, while helping the economic viability of the plant," manager Chris Borgren said in a news release.

"It will also bring this unfortunate labour dispute to an end," Borgren added.

Lakeside, owned by U.S.-based Tyson Foods, is the largest single employer in Brooks, a town of 13,000, with an annual payroll of $90 million for 2,400 workers.

The union also didn't seek any commitment from Tyson officials that the slaughterhouse will remain in operation after the 51-month contract ends.

"We didn't ask them because we don't care," said O'Halloran.

"Somebody will buy this plant, somebody will operate this plant," he said. "I'm sure the ranchers and farmers here would like Tyson to screw off back to the U.S. and they would run the plant. They'd run it a lot better and treat the people a lot better."

NDP labour critic Ray Martin said the dispute highlights the need for first-contract binding arbitration.

"It's obvious our labour laws are distorted and one-sided," said Martin. "We wouldn't have had this strike if we had that in our labour laws."

Due to the tentative deal, Lakeside will ask the Alberta Labour Relations Board to postpone Thursday's hearing on forcing workers to vote on the company's offer that union leaders rejected in early October.

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Tentative deal reached in Lakeside Packers strike

Canadian Press || November 3, 2005

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