Cornwall, Ont. – August 16, 2018 – More than 400 UFCW Local 175 members at the Olymel bacon facility in Cornwall, Ontario recently ratified a new union contract.

The new UFCW contract includes a number of strong gains for the food processing members, including:

• Paid sick days and seniority-based job postings.

• Wage gains of $2.60 per hour over for all employees, over the term of the deal. 

• An increase of 90 cents per hour – in addition to regular rate increases – for forklift drivers hired prior to 2012.

• Increases of 40 to 90 cents per hour for general labourers.

• New attendance bonus of $1.25 per hour for all employee who miss no more than four hours of scheduled work per month.

• $250 eye care coverage every 24 months.

• Enhanced dental coverage, and the addition of massage therapy to the health and welfare plan.

The new Olymel contract also includes some major gains on the vacation front.

Thanks to the efforts of the union committee and solidarity of the UFCW 175 membership, employees with more than four week’s vacation can choose to sell a week or more of that entitlement for 120 percent of its value.

And the contract’s new vacation language also empowers the members to have greater say over when the can take their hard-earned vacation, lieu days, or floater days. 

UFCW represents more than 4,500 Olymel workers at operations in five different provinces across the country. In addition to making some of Canada’s best bacon, UFCW members at Olymel also make deli meats, hams, pulled pork, and various BBQ products like sausage and wieners.

Olymel members also make a wide variety of fresh pork and poultry products for meat exports around the world, as well as fresh retail cuts (like chicken breasts and pork chops) that help feed millions of Canadian families every day.

To get the full story on the new UFCW contract for Olymel members in Cornwall, and to find out more about the local’s excellent work, check out UFCW Locals 175 and 633.