Members of the Bacon Inter-America-CSN Union of Workers went on strike at the Olymel plant in Drummondville.
About 400 union members at Bacon América, in Drummondville, have been on an indefinite strike since Thursday evening. This Olymel company specializes in the production of bacon.
Slightly more than 80% of members voted in favor of this pressure tactic, according to the president of the Bacon Inter-America-CSN Workers Union, Mélanie Cloutier.
Negotiations are stymied in particular on the issue of wages, according to the union. A bonus was also requested for members who perform more physically demanding work.
Olymel management says it is disappointed with the outbreak of an indefinite general strike, especially since, since January, there have been 21 trading dates. Olymel intends to request the presence of a conciliator in the case.
The collective agreement expired on March 1. A tentative agreement was reached on May 18 and was presented to union members on Thursday, who rejected it.
In 2019, the union obtained a major wage increases for its members after calling a strike that lasted just over two hours.
Olymel management announced last April that it was going to close its Vallée-Jonction plant, in Beauce, which employed nearly 1,000 people.
With information from Marie-Hélène Rousseau and by Marilyn Marceau
The majority of factory personnel d'Olymel in Drummondville voted in favor of an indefinite general strike on Thursday evening.
