Collective bargaining deal reached in Quebec slaughterhouse labour dispute

MONTREAL – A labour dispute at a slaughterhouse near Quebec City that resulted in more than one million chickens being euthanized has come to an end.

Workers at the Exceldor co-operative in St-Ansèlme, Que., voted 66 per cent in favour of a deal submitted by mediator-conciliators with the province’s Labour Ministry today.

More than 500 workers at the slaughterhouse have been without a contract since July 2020 and have been on strike since May 23, with salaries and working conditions emerging as key sticking points.

The union also levelled allegations of a toxic work environment at the facility.

Mario Maisonneuve, the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, said in a statement on Saturday the new agreement will improve not only working conditions, but will also rectify wrongdoings allegedly perpetrated against members since 2013.

Exceldor will reopen to its full capacity on Monday. The new collective agreement, which will be formally signed in July, will be effective for a period of six years and be retroactive to Aug. 1, 2020.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 26, 2021.