The union for workers at a southern Alberta meat beef-packing plant that’s been the site of the largest single COVID-19 outbreak in Canada says it has been unable to stop the facility from reopening on Monday.
The union for workers at a southern Alberta meat beef-packing plant that has been the site of the largest single COVID-19 outbreak in Canada says it has been unable to stop the facility from reopening on Monday.
There have been 921 cases of the virus at the Cargill plant south of Calgary, which has 2,000 workers. One worker in her 60s died, and her husband was hospitalized with the illness.
Cargill announced April 20 it was temporarily shutting down operations for two weeks at the plant, which provides about 40 per cent of the beef processing in Canada.
It said earlier this week that one shift would resume work on Monday with bolstered safety measures.
Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Deena Hinshaw has said Alberta Health Services officials have done on-site inspections and have been assured the facility is safe.
But Thomas Hesse with the United Food and Commercial Workers union Local 401 said workers are scared, and the local tried to get a stop-work order from Alberta Occupational Health and Safety.
On Monday, he said that effort had so far failed, but that negotiations were ongoing.
“Unfortunately, the situation has not been resolved. At this moment, we have been unable to convince any government or legal authority to have the courage to step in and ensure the plant remains closed until safety is assured. Our lawyers are looking at new strategies,” Hesse said on the union’s website.
Speaking to reporte