Saint-Félicien, Que. – July 27, 2022 – UFCW Local 501 members working at Usine de congélation de Saint-Félicien have ratified a new collective agreement that provides wage gains, additional vacation time, and more.

The new five-year contract expires in November 2025 and covers roughly 68 members working at the blueberry freezing plant located in the beautiful region of Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec. Four negotiation meetings were harmoniously held and led to an agreement on wage raises. In fact, the members will benefit from a 14 percent salary increase in the first year of the contract and a 2.5 percent increase for the two remaining years.

In addition to maintaining their existing advantages, the UFCW Local 501 members have gained the following:

• A fifth week of holiday after 15 years of service instead of 20 years
• The addition of a sixth week of holiday after 25 years
• The addition of a floating holiday
• The raise of the evening and night premiums from $0.40 to $0.75 per hour worked

“We would like to congratulate our negotiating committee for their excellent work at the negotiating table. This contract’s signature validates our commitment to firmly defend the interests of the workers we represent, as well as contribute to the improvement of their working conditions,” says Daniel Nadeau, UFCW 501 Director for Eastern Quebec.

To read more about the collective bargaining victory at Usine de congélation de Saint-Félicien, click here.

Representing over 19,000 union members working at more than 410 companies, UFCW Local 501 is the largest francophone food and commercial workers’ union in Quebec and northern New Brunswick. To learn more about UFCW 501 and its outstanding work, visit the Local Union’s website.