Militant/Natalie Doucet

Meat packers on strike against Tyson-owned Lakeside Packers in Brooks, Alberta, confront bus carrying scabs October 18 outside Canada’s largest beef slaughterhouse.

At the same time, strikers are reaching out and receiving growing labor solidarity.

At an October 21 press conference, Doug O’Halloran, UFCW Local 401 president, said that representatives of UFCW Local 7 in Colorado had visited the picket line, bringing solidarity greetings and a donation of $100,000 to help the strikers.

“We are mobilizing to do everything we can to support the strikers in Alberta,” said Johnny Rodriguez, president of UFCW Local 540 in North Richland Hills, Texas, according to an October 21 union press release. “Tyson has been bullying its workers around for far too long…. Local 540 is raising money to support the strike and will sponsor a striking family. We’re reaching out to our allies at other labor unions, community and religious organizations. Together, we are demanding a just and swift settlement for the Alberta Tyson workers.”

“I call on every working woman and man in Brooks, Alberta, to remain strong and to hold their solidarity,” said Ken Georgetti, president of the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), in an October 19 statement in support of the strike. The CLC called on the government of Alberta “to intervene to uphold and protect the dignity of the workers at Lakeside Packers.”

A disciplined and committed core of about 900 unionists, from a workforce of 2,100, are maintaining the picket lines now. There is about an equal number of scabs, who include several hundred office employees and management staff.

The workforce includes more than 600 immigrants from 36 countries—from Africa to South America and Asia—speaking dozens of languages. Strikers are working hard to build unity, trying to convince line crossers to join them in picketing.

The strike has effectively crippled production at Canada’s largest beef slaughterhouse despite tough picketing restrictions. Under a court injunction, the union is following a guideline of no more than 50 pickets per gate and a hold up time of no more than three minutes for vehicles trying to enter the plant.

While pickets danced to the beat of a Bob Marley song saying, “Stand up for your rights,” long lines of scabs have been held up for hours waiting to get in. As a result, production start-up times by Tyson have been late in the day. Scabs are often sent home after a few hours.

In response, Tyson has built 11 new access roads at the back of the plant in an attempt to speed up entry of strikebreakers. Union members are organizing to cover these gates as well.

A tragic car crash the evening of October 20 between two cars carrying strikers on the road to picket resulted in the deaths of two young strikers, both from Ethiopia. Four others were injured, two critically. As a sign of respect, the strikers are wearing their union bibs inside out and the picket line was pulled down for one day.

Striker Edil Hassan, 21, was furious seeing smoke billowing from the plant after the line was pulled down for the day of mourning. “I feel humiliated,” he said, referring to the Tyson bosses. “They have no sense of humanity.”

According to CBC News, production on October 25 was “halted for a second day, after federal food inspectors refused to cross the picket line, citing safety concerns.” The inspectors are members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

In other developments, the Alberta Labour Relations Board has banned Lakeside’s head of security and chief of human resources from any further contact with pickets or union officers. They must stay at least 200 meters away from the picket line. Both face criminal charges after they and other company officials chased with their cars Local 401 president O’Halloran while he was driving near the plant. The bosses forced the unionist’s car into the ditch, injuring him.

Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has begun to victimize strikers. RCMP cops have arrested and charged at least four workers with alleged acts of vandalism and “uttering threats.” One other has been charged with assaulting a police officer.

These events have hardened the determination of the strikers. The workers voted in the union over a year ago but have yet to get a contract with food giant Tyson. “It’s not about the dollar,” bargaining committee member Peter Jany told the Militant. “They don’t want the union in the plant.” Jany reported that through the organized efforts of strikers, in particular those of Sudanese origin, a significant number of scabs have walked out and joined the fight for the union.

Natalie Doucet and Edwin Fruit contributed to this article.  
 
 
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