Reading Time: 2 minutes A second agreement in principle has been reached between meat packer Olymel and the union for one of its major Quebec hog slaughter and processing plants to end a months-long strike — this time under threat of layoffs. Olymel and the CSN-affliliated Syndicat des travailleurs de Olymel Vallee-Jonction (STOVJ) announced Sunday afternoon they had reached […] Read more
Olymel, union reach second tentative deal to end strike
Company postpones threatened layoffs pending employees' vote Tuesday
Union rejects province’s call for arbitration in Olymel strike
Labour minister had proposed third-party settlement
Reading Time: 2 minutes A proposal from Quebec’s labour minister to end a four-month strike at a major hog slaughter plant, which has created a backlog of market-weight hogs on farms in Eastern Canada, has been rejected by the workers’ union. Provincial Labour Minister Jean Boulet, at a meeting Thursday morning, put out a proposal to meat packer Olymel […] Read more
Olymel’s striking Quebec workers get layoff ultimatum
Hog slaughter plant idle since late April
Reading Time: 3 minutes Updated — The threat of job losses for about half the unionized workers at a major pork packing plant in Quebec is its owners’ latest bid to end a four-month strike. Olymel announced Tuesday it will “abolish” the evening shift at its hog slaughter and processing plant at Vallee-Jonction, about 60 km southeast of Quebec […] Read more
Olymel, Quebec workers reach deal in principle
Agreement may end months-long strike at hog plant
Reading Time: 2 minutes The union for workers at a major pork slaughter and packing plant in Quebec’s Beauce region says it has a deal that may end a strike which has backed up hogs on farms in the province since late April. The Syndicat des travailleurs d’Olymel Vallee-Jonction (STOVJ) — which represents over 1,000 employees at Olymel’s Vallee-Jonction […] Read more
Olymel strike talks delayed to mid-month, union says
Quebec hog plant's workers on strike since late April
Reading Time: 2 minutes A two-months-and-counting strike at a major Quebec hog slaughter and processing plant is expected to continue through to mid-July at the earliest due to scheduling issues, the workers’ union says. The Syndicat des travailleurs d’Olymel Vallee-Jonction-CSN — which represents over 1,000 striking workers at Olymel’s plant Vallee-Jonction, about 60 km southeast of Quebec City — […] Read more
Sale of new fuel-powered cars, light trucks to be banned from 2035
Interim targets to be set for 2025, 2030
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ottawa | Reuters — Canada will ban the sale of fuel-burning new cars and light-duty trucks from 2035 in an effort to reach net-zero emissions across the country by 2050, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government said on Tuesday. Only zero-emissions cars and trucks can be sold from 2035, according to a statement, adding that a […] Read more
Strike ends at Exceldor poultry plant in Quebec
Union members vote to take six-year deal
Reading Time: 2 minutes A month-long strike at one of Quebec’s biggest poultry slaughter and processing plants is ending after unionized workers voted to accept a new agreement reached through mediation. About 500 unionized workers at Exceldor Co-operative’s plant at Saint-Anselme, about 30 km southeast of Quebec City, have been on strike since May 23. The previous contract between […] Read more
Second Cup owner to buy Milestones dining chain
Foodtastic plans to expand brand to Quebec
Reading Time: 2 minutes Future growth of the Milestones chain of grill-and-bar restaurants across Canada will take place under different ownership. Vaughan, Ont.-based Recipe Unlimited, owner of fast-casual and dining chains such as Swiss Chalet, The Keg, Harvey’s, St-Hubert and Montana’s, announced Monday it will sell the Milestones chain to Foodtastic, owner of the Second Cup and Nickels Deli […] Read more
Quebec names mediator in Exceldor poultry strike
Major chicken plant's workers off job since May 23
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Quebec government has brought in a mediator to try to restart labour talks that stalled ahead of a strike at one of the province’s biggest poultry plants. Provincial Labour Minister Jean Boulet on Friday named Helene Poulin as a special mediator on the labour dispute at the Exceldor poultry plant at Saint-Anselme, about 30 […] Read more
Olymel gets home province’s backing for plant upgrades
Quebec to invest $150 million in packer
Reading Time: 2 minutes Pork and poultry producer and packer Olymel has picked up equity investments from its home province to support a total of $315 million in plant upgrades. The Quebec government announced Tuesday it would invest $74 million in Olymel through its economy and innovation ministry’s Fonds pour la croissance des entreprises quebecois (FCEQ) plus $76 million […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
