Springhill Farms employees ratify deal

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This article was published 12/02/2010 (5798 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BY COLLEEN COSGROVE

It took nearly four months of bargaining, but employees at Springhill Farms in Neepawa ratified a new five-year collective agreement Tuesday.

Of the 533 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832, more than 400 people — 79 per cent — voted in favour of the agreement, which introduces a stabilized pension plan, increased wages, shift premiums and a tool and boot allowance.

It was the first changes made to the agreement since 2003, when an arbiter imposed the previous agreement after financial troubles had shuttered Springhill for months prior.

UFCW Local 832 secretary-treasurer Jeff Traeger says he’s proud of the agreement, especially since it includes important language for the approximately 250 members employed under the Foreign Workers Nominee Program.

The contract now states that the company is responsible for processing all of the necessary paperwork, providing translators whenever required by foreign workers and paying for the translation of the contract if there are more than 100 members whose first language is not English.

“Our members face language barriers every day, and these changes will serve them well,” Traeger said. “When they arrive at work, they’re given documentation about how to be safe at work, information about what employer policies are and what the collective agreement covers … These people are given this documentation and expected to follow the rules, but if you can’t read what the rules are, then it makes it really difficult.”

An expedited arbitration process for members working under the foreign worker program was also introduced. Now if a member is terminated, they will be allowed to stay in the province until the arbitrator’s award is received.

This is the second time the union has been successful in negotiating this clause. Maple Leaf Consumer Foods employees secured the same clause for its foreign workers during collective bargaining in January.

Wage increases mean Springhill employees will remain the highest paid packinghouse workers in the province. The company also agreed to meet with the union to look at reclassification of the work that is being performed at Springhill Farms. This reclassification process will see further wage increases once completed.

UFCW Local 832 is Manitoba’s largest private sector union, representing more than 15,000 people across the province.

» ccosgrove@brandonsun.com