|
For Your information The Ongoing Fight of Cargill Workers to Protect Themselves and Their CommunityWorkers at the Cargill meatpacking plant in High River, Alberta, and their union, United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 401, took action in March of 2020 to protect the workers and demand that the company take action when they became aware of 38 cases at the plant. On March 20 the union presented a plan to reconfigure the workplace, to extend the work week to allow for social distancing, and for rigorous safety measures to be put in place. The company did not comply. On April 12, 250 workers signed a letter to the Mayor of High River calling on him to support their call to close the plant for two weeks. The union President issued a public call on April 13 for a two-week shutdown of the plant. By that time 30 members of the union across North America had died
In the written complaint and request for an RCMP investigation initiated by Ariana Quesada, the daughter of Cargill worker Benito Quesada, and supported by the union, what are considered acts of negligence by the company include; failure to provide adequate PPE, forcing workers to work elbow to elbow, with no social distancing; crowded lunch/break rooms and locker space with no ability to socially distance; company medical personnel clearing workers for duty despite positive COVID-19 tests or symptoms; and offering $500 bonus pay to workers who did not miss a shift in a two-month period. It is only the constant vigilance of the workers which has prevented a re-occurrence of the devastating outbreak in April and May. (Photo: UFCW Local 401)
This article was published in Article Link:   Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca |
Cargill
ignored all the calls of the workers and Local 401 until finally
closing the plant on April 20, by which time over 440 workers had been
infected and one had died. Government agencies also failed to act to
protect the workers. Alberta Occupational Health and Safety had
conducted only virtual "inspections" and had not entered the plant,
nevertheless declaring it safe, arrogantly ignoring the evidence of the
workers. During a virtual town hall meeting on April 18, Alberta
Agriculture Minister Devin Dreeshen told the workers that it was safe
to go to work, and that Cargill had taken all necessary measures to
keep staff safe. He also accused those advocating a temporary plant
closure
of "misinformation and fear-mongering." Two days later the plant was closed for a two
week shutdown.