Montreal – July 14, 2014 – Members working at Lucyporc — a business specializing in hog farming and slaughtering as well as pork processing — have achieved a new collective agreement. About 280 UFCW Canada Local 1991P members work at the facility in the areas of slaughtering, meat cutting and meat packing. The contract runs until October 2019.

This new collective agreement, which came into force June 12, 2014, is accompanied by wage increases of 3.25% for the first year, 2.5% for the second year and, 2.25% for each remaining year in the contract. Ultimately, hourly rates will be between $17.34 and $20.80 by the end of the new agreement. The contract runs until October 2019.

In addition to better wage conditions, the union contract includes many improvements, such as four more floating holidays, which means that there will now be six altogether, and a fifth week off for employees who have been working for over 15 years at the company.

In terms of benefits, members now qualify as a participating unit in the UFCW Dental Plan, which is entirely paid for by the employer, and, starting on January 1, 2015, they will have a pension plan. In fact, under the new collective agreement, it will be possible for workers aged 55 and over to take progressive retirement by working four days a week.

Members working at Lucyporc receive other improvements as well, such as more time for union leaves, a better vacation leave ratio, the right to be compensated for overtime by taking time off, and the guarantee to a 37-hour work week. The new collective agreement also contains improved language covering a number of non-monetary issues.