Dare Foods workers in Ste-Martine go on strike indefinitely

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Union members at the Der Foods factory in Saint-Martine, Monterégie, launched an indefinite general strike on Sunday morning as part of their wage demands.

On November 13, about 100 members of the Professional and Office Workers Union of Local 574 (SEPB-574) voted in favor of the strike order with 85% of the votes in favor.

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Union president Mario Longtin said pressure on management was “necessary” after more than 18 months of negotiations.

“There were us. Since December 2021, we have been in intense negotiations, so we no longer had a choice,” he said in an interview.

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Unions are demanding an 18% price increase over three years, while employers have offered a 13.25% increase over four years, according to a statement released on Sunday.

Employers’ offers are insufficient to ensure the retention of personnel within the factory, especially in the context of labor shortages, Longtin said.

“The turnover rate has been high over the last few years…because salaries are not high enough,” he said.

He said the union had made several proposals to his employer, but they had all been rejected.

“We want to be recognized for the past few years that we have had,” Longtin said. “While we were incarcerated, we worked hard and got nothing in return,” he added, adding that union members’ patience was “in the end.”

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Dare Foods management declined an interview request from The Canadian Press.

Mylene Forget, a spokesperson for the company, said in an email that management would not allow interviews to “maintain an atmosphere of respectful negotiations.”

“Negotiations continue today with the union representing the employees of the Sante Martine plant, with the aim of reaching a satisfactory agreement for both the employees and the company,” said an email sent on Saturday. rice field.

The union’s collective bargaining agreement has expired in April 2021.

Dare Foods plans to start a new production line at its Ste-Martine factory in December, but the project could be put on hold due to the strike.