Union protest in support of Cargill employees Wednesday
Posted Feb 10, 2021 6:53 pm.
Last Updated Feb 11, 2021 7:08 am.
HIGH RIVER (660 NEWS) – The union representing workers at the Cargill meat processing plant near High River says they are overly concerned about the new COVID outbreak at the facility and because of that, members of UFCW Local 401 held a protest Wednesday afternoon to show support for the employees.
There are currently 11 active cases at the plant.
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“It’s an outbreak in an area of the plants that’s called the auto box. It’s a packaging area and we received some reassurances from the employer that the outbreak was confined to that area. Now this morning we discovered it has in fact spread beyond that area,” said Thomas Hesse, UFCW Local 401 President.
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“For those employees will soon in the coming few months be in the legal strike position and so we are there with them today in solidarity and to show support,” added Hesse.
Cargill had one of the biggest outbreaks in Canada at the start of the pandemic last year. This resulted in two employees’ deaths and nearly half of the workers at the facility contracted COVID-19.
