By Jim Selby, AFL Staff

[Lethbridge] James Richardson International, the new owner of Canbra Foods, has created a labour dispute at the canola processing plant.

The 165 workers went on strike at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 27, 2000. The strikers, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 401 acted on a 97 per cent strike vote.

According to UFCW Representative Randy Ruaben, the company is the author of its own problems. "The company, which at last public report was very profitable, is demanding up to $4.00 per hour wage rollbacks," said Ruaben. "out members are not going to accept that."

To further inflame issues, the employer first demonstrated that they could get around the ‘no contracting out’ clauses in the old collective agreement. Then they refused to alter the language to return the provision to its original intent.

"They showed that they could abuse the intent of the collective agreement – and now they refuse to correct the problem at the table," charged Ruaben. "How could they not expect a fight over this?"

The company has advertised locally for scabs during the strike. However, they have actually recruited "very very few" according to Ruaben.

The union is picketing 24 hours a day seven days a week, and is looking for active support from other trade unionists.

The strikers remain confident. "Morale is just great," said Ruaben, observing that the weather has been the only negative factor on the picket line.