Workers at Olymel bacon facility in Cornwall, Ont., ratify new agreement

Wages hiked, attendance bonus implemented in deal: UFCW

More than 400 United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), Local 175 members at the Olymel bacon facility in Cornwall, Ont., ratified a new contract on Aug. 16.

The new agreement includes gains for the food-processing employees, including paid sick days and seniority-based job postings, wage gains of $2.60 per hour for all employees, an increase of 90 cents per hour – in addition to regular rate increases – for forklift drivers hired prior to 2012 and increases of $0.40 to $0.90 per hour for general labourers, said the union.

As well, the deal includes an attendance bonus of $1.25 per hour for all employees who miss no more than four hours of scheduled work per month, $250 eye-care coverage every 24 months, enhanced dental coverage and the addition of massage therapy to the health and welfare plan, said UFCW.

The contract’s new vacation language also empowers the members to have greater say over when they can take vacation days, lieu days or floater days, said the union.

UFCW represents more than 4,500 Olymel workers at operations in five different provinces across the country.

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