Workers at the Olymel hog plant, located in Vallee-Jonction, Quebec, commenced a strike on April 28th. Hogs have accordingly been diverted to other Olymel plants in Quebec.
The striking employees are demanding a pay raise of 35 percent with immediate effect increasing to 51 percent above current wages within 40 months.
A spokesman for the Olymel cooperative has rejected the initial demand as it would “put Olymel out of the market at that plant and we cannot afford that kind of raise.” Meetings between the cooperative and union are in progress although the plant has closed.
The plant has a nominal capacity of 37,000 hogs per week. Olymel is consigning 20,000 hogs per week to U.S. packers to compensate for the work stoppage.