Militant/John Steele

Workers picket Quality Meat Packers in Toronto, Ontario, November 15.

Strikers report that since the walkout began no production has taken place at the slaughterhouse, which processes up to 6,000 hogs a day.

“They nailed us to the wall in the last contract. They took 40 percent of our pay and benefits,” said George Chabiras, a maintenance worker with 17 years in the plant. “They say the company will close, but they just revamped the whole cutting room and spent millions on new equipment. If we stay out longer, we’ll get a better offer.”

The main demand of the strikers is for a higher wage increase than the one offered by the company. Depending on job classification, the proposed increase ranges from Can$1.15 to Can$1.75 (US$1 = Can$1.19) over three years. In the previous contract, signed six years ago, workers took a double-digit cut in wages after an eight-week strike that failed to push back company concession demands.

The latest company effort to intimidate workers into ending the strike began with a November 10 letter delivered to workers’ homes by special courier, implying the company would close if the strike continued.

“We find ourselves in a very unfortunate and dangerous situation,” said the letter, addressed to “Dear Valued Employee.” “Customers and hog producers are now preparing to make other long-term arrangements. The longer the strike continues, the higher the risk to the company and your jobs. We have told you that while you are on strike, your jobs and production volumes are going to employees of our competitors… We have no choice but to make decisions about the long-term future of the facility and the business.”

Signed by QMP owner David Schwartz, it said the company would submit its “final offer to your negotiating committee on Friday, November 12, 2004.” Schwartz said the offer “would not improve” because “there is no more money to offer.” The company’s proposal was basically the same the workers had rejected originally, minus a $500 signing bonus the employers had promised if the contract was ratified by October 28.

Over the two evenings that followed, a number of workers reported receiving anonymous phone calls that either threatened them or urged them to accept the offer. The anonymous caller to Sam Cataeno, UFCW plant chairperson at QMP, stated angrily: “Look you f…. union goon. Better watch your back. The vote better go the right way because we all have families to feed.” Cataeno said his 11-year old daughter, who picked up the phone, heard the message.

On November 11 union officials from the Local 175 provincial office distributed a leaflet to strikers that informed them that the company would present its final offer to the negotiating committee the next day. The leaflet added that “Quality Meats advised the Union that acceptance or rejection of this offer will decide the future of the plant.”

Voting was organized to take place at a hotel from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with two informational meetings held during the day, which took place as workers voted. Workers received the one-page “final offer” when they registered for their ballots.

Throughout the day the lobby at the hotel where the vote was held was a beehive of activity as the unionists stayed around to discuss the contract. Workers stepped forward to help translate the final offer in different languages, and debate the pros and cons of accepting or rejecting it.

The count took place shortly after 5:00 p.m. and the results were announced to a room full of workers, many of whom had been there for hours or had come back to hear the results after voting that morning.

“I’m happy that we aren’t going to settle for a second-rate contract,” D.D., a shipper/receiver with five years’ seniority, told the Militant as he left the meeting, giving congratulatory handshakes to other strikers.

Local media have not reported on the strike so far, except for a Portuguese-language community television station.

Individual workers from other unions have passed by and expressed support. The most significant act of solidarity has come from workers at the giant UFCW-organized Maple Leaf Foods hog slaughterhouse in Burlington, Ontario. According to the chief steward, kill floor workers have refused Saturday work to kill hogs diverted from QMP to Maple Leaf. The more than 1,000 Maple Leaf Foods workers adopted a contract several months ago without a strike. The QMP bosses claim that their “final offer” is better than the deal accepted by Maple Leaf workers, which up to now has generally set the pattern for QMP contracts.

John Steele is a member of UFCW Local 175, on strike against Quality Meat Packers.  
 
 
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