BY CARLOS CORNEJO AND ANNETTE KOURI
JOLIETTE, Quebec - More than 1,500 people demonstrated here January 31 in solidarity with the 560 members of the National Confederation of Trade Unions (CSN) on strike at poultry plants in Joliette and nearby Berthierville that are owned by Olymel- Flamingo. Workers struck the plants October 28 refusing wage cuts of Can$2.50 (US$1.65) per hour and demanding better working conditions and pension benefits. Two days into the strike the company announced its decision to shut down the Joliette plant on January 31 and put a "for sale" sign on the plant gate.

The company now proposes to expand the plant at Berthierville and integrate some of the workers from Joliette, but refuses to say how many. "We negotiated together, we went out together, we'll go in together." was the common theme expressed at the demonstration.

Steve Thériault, on strike at Joliette, said, "We haven't had a real increase for the last five years and now they want to cut $2.50 an hour.... I'm not ready to accept these kinds of concessions. If we accept them now, they'll come back later for the shirt off our backs." Workers from several towns in the area came to express their solidarity, including contingents of 30-40 workers from Bridgestone-Firestone and the Central Regional Hospital in Lanaudiere.  
 
 
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