Terrible Tyson-Lakeside Workers Vote To Strike

Its the Alberta Advantage at its finest. Make companies and corperations money while paying workers inadequate wages and have them work in slave labour conditions. Lakeside made a bundle off the BSE crisis, yet they do nothing to create better working conditions. Plus having old Ralphie and his anti labour government does not help. I will not purchase anything made at Lakeside until things straighten out.

That "Terrible Tyson" website was very good and some of the reports of unhygenic meat is very disturbing. I worked at Olympic meats in Vancouver in late 80's early 90's and the general public would be shocked at how the product is handled. Production first is the mentality at these places.

I agree I was impressed too. Its not often a union gets a web site up and active PRIOR to a strike. Nor is often that unions produce a well made strike web site with valuable information on the strike and contacts. Literally a 'campaign' site that could help avert a strike if enough response is made. So it acts both as an information page, as a lobbying site and once the strike happens as a news and update site. Usually union web sites are an afterthought once a strike has started.

the strike at lakeside is a battle you cant win .Tyson foods is the second largest company in the world if production can run with its "scabs" the strike will be broken before it even starts do your homework on what the ufcw union did to these same employees back in the eightys they walked away and left the people standing on the highway because they knew they could not win at lakeside quit lying these people are the best paid in the industy less 25 cents

The only reason these employees have a fighting chance now is due to UFCW and it's efforts so before you go slagging the only union that has stepped up to the plate to help these people (before they voted the union in) with their WCB and EI appeals perhaps it is you that should do your homework. By the way, give the workers some credit, they chose to fight this employer for better working conditions and a bit of dignity in the work place. Too bad you're minimizing their struggle because of a not so well hidden axe to grind with the union. Look beyond the politics my friend and there, you will find the truth.

My personal opinion is that local 401 is doing the absolute worst thing by calling a strike. To me it seems they have become aware they can't win with the contract demands they are making and are causing as much damage to Lakeside's business as they can get away with and with little regard for the well being of its workers.

If they couldn't negotiate a contract from within, best of luck doing it from the street while the plant continues to run. It appears to be a repeat in the making of the UFCW's last attempt to organize Lakeside workers in the 1980's, which ended with the UFCW abondoning Lakeside.

The union was certified by only slightly better than 50% and in actual fact the strike vote although receiving 70% in favour, is still only slightly better than 50% of eligible voters. The plant is split cleanly down the middle and I don't believe Lakeside will be unable to operate one shift. In fact the comlpex manager was given a standing ovation by A-shift processing.

There is something I also need to say about the strike vote held last June. The UFCW presented a contract which although very attractive to workers was unreasonable and unrealistic. Lakeside's counter proposal was equally as bad however, even without a union Lakeside's employment package was previously competitive if not more lucrative. With all due respect, UFCW baited workers with dollar signs as well as played on some worker's victim mentality by craftily throwing around ethnically sensitive terms and imagery such as 'slavery' and 'discrimination' to garner even more support. Yes I am accusing UFCW of taking advantage of racial tensions and playing the Sudanese workers. I can't excuse this no matter how I look at it.

Through it all I listened to union people talking about the need for respect despite the fact much of this is about monetary issues, while slinging active and idle threats and epiphets but such tactics deserve nothing but contempt in this case. While I will agree there needs to be huge changes at Lakeside and I actually do support the idea of a collective agreement and a unioinized workforce, dividing the workforce with such transparent rhetoric and posturing is only going to end in failure.

NOW THAT IS THE HONEST TO GOD TRUTH WELL SAID

you say im trying to hide my axe to grind with this union i just cant believe that twenty years later the same local ufcw with the same over paid man in charge is going to lead these people down the same path where he left his "brothers and sisters"standing alone on the highway with no hope and NO SUPPORT now there is 2300 team members at our plant thats a enough people for a small town are they going to be left out in the freezing cold a few short months from now because they believed in the unreal perfect world the ufcw401 promised them these poor people new to canada and trusting of all with a smile THIS IS YOUR TIME DOUG ARCHIE AND TOM PROVE ME WRONGshow us that you can get us the world without a plant closure oh and good luck boys grind that axe

As a former member of your commities i don't think you have the ball's to go on strike thats why you begged for arrbitration you know you don't have the support so all you are doing is causeing trouble to those that are happy there

This to me has 2 reasons behind it #1 personal Doug you are still pissed from the last time they kicked you out
#2 money $$$$$$$$ why would you beg people to vote you in if you had nothing to gain from it

All Lakeside team members good job on the fight DO NOT AGREE TO ANY ANY ANY CONTRACT THE U.F.C.W. BARGAINS in a short time we can have a decertifacation vote and get rid of them again for another 20 years

As a former member of your commities i dont think you have the balls to go on strike thats why you begged for arrbitration you know you don't have the support so all you are doing is causeing trouble to those that are happy there

This to me has 2 reasons behind it #1 personal Doug you are still pissed from the last time they kicked you out
#2 money $$$$$$$$ why would you beg people to vote you in if you had nothing to gain from it

All Lakeside team members good job on the fight DO NOT AGREE TO ANY ANY ANY CONTRACT THE U.F.C.W. BARGAINS in a short time we can have a decertifacation vote and get rid of them again for another 20 years

The way I see it, Tyson Foods is scared and needs to bust this union and it's members in order to run it's plant as cheaply and as dirty as they so choose. It's too bad that us workers who have decided to fight for something better now also have to defend the only union that has shown us they will fight for us. They've been here for years fighting for us where they can even before the vote last year to bring them in. They have hepled us with our wcb appeals as the previous person said and now they are using everything they can to negotiate a contract that will prevent the employer from firing people at will. You'll never convince me that doug and Tom and Archie don't have our best interests at heart,you're entitled to your opinion but you're wrong. I'm sticking with this union and I'm sticking to the fight because in the end we will win and we won't laugh and say I told you so but we will be proud, as all workers should be.

Yahoo, someone finally tells the truth and gets the message out about what unions really are all about. I personally believe that unions were (and I stress the word were) instrumental 40-50 years ago in introducing better wages and benefits for workers, however, this is a different time. Companies like Lakeside and others are short staffed, and to retain staff, you have to pay them competitively, with or without a colletive bargaining agreement. Has anyone told these new "recruits" in Brooks at Lakeside what their union dues or initiations will be...probably not. I would bet that they are making more money now without the dues and initiations than they will IF there ever was a CBA with slightly higher wages, if any increase at all. UFCW, go away and leave these people be, those who just want to earn a living and go to work. People who work hard and respect the company that provides for them don't need a union.

Considering UFCW's first fiasco here who WOULDN'T want them out? I do and I am for now a member who has slowly been disillusioned with this group so concerned about worker's well being. Granted Tyson would probably prefer no union but guaranteed they take 'a' union and 'a' contract over a bad one. Tyson does operate a number of union plants in the US.

Labour relations experts are predicting a long and probably chaotic strike similar to the one that occurred in the 1980's. Where did this end? IN THE DITCH where it began!!! As another perosn pointed out, UFCW whined to the AB govt. for arbitration because 401 knows they don't have the support and when the govt. did step in to do what it best could do within AB labour law, UFCW has a hissy-fit because its strike was cancelled. To be frank there were no shortage of workers intent on defying UFCW at any cost, some are UFCW members at least for now.

Local 401's suport for this strike is debateable at best. They want a Cargill contract for us but was that gold plated contract they showed you at the strike vote a Cargill contract? NO it wasn't and it was the bait to get people to vote yes shortly after an emotionally charged meeting peppered with the rhetoric for which this union is famous and is what has turned me off to them utterly. They pushed for a strike at any cost, even the truth, but when it ultimately blew up in their face they hurtled epithets at the same government they whined to only days earlier. I really wonder today when I go to work if the union will be so freely hurling the word 'scab' and threats of fines as it did a month or two back.

The only people that should be fined is the UFCW for creating a dangerous situation and should be handed the bill for the RCMP's staff increase due to this idiocy. It's bad enough they wanted to get the AB govt to force a contract where support was mixed but to ask taxpayers to foot the bill for its antics goes much too far. Further the UNION can pay the goddamned wages I and many others lost those days for this mess.

UFCW has no concern for the AB beef industry nor for the workers at Lakeside and definitely not for the community of Brooks which would proabbly see an even higher crime rate and/or a riot situation at the picket lines. They want IN and that's all and they clearly dont care how or at what cost they want others to sacrifice, not them.

UFCW local 401. I hope you're out there because if you don't smarten up, or if not preferrably and simply save face and leave, you will have my union memebership cancellation within days.

There are plenty of non-union jobs out there for those who prefer to whine about this. You obviously have not had to stand in your own urine as has been reported because he was refused the right to go to the bathroom. You obviously haven't been injured and made the huge mistake of going to your own doctor to seek medical attention. Don't forget the union has the support of the majority of the workers, there was a little thing called a vote, remember. The union does have support for a strike, again, a little thing called a strike vote, remember. I am proud to be a member of this union and if you are not then there are loads of other non-union jobs available. The only one having a "hissy-fit" here is you my friend. You're threats are laughable to me and the majority of the other workers who support their right to seek a better work place. This isn't about ufcw this is about the workers.

as someone who lets you people go to the bathroom everyday some three four times in a day let me say i respect your right to voice your opinion but give me a break tell me how often have you had to stand in your own urine its no wonder you have to have this union if you cant even stand up for yourself and leave the line to use the bathroom when you have to go.tell me when the last time someone was fired for running off to go pee you seem to forget all this company has done for people is it the best NO can we find things that need to change YES but find me one company thats perfect i have worked for tyson foods for over 8 years and they have done nothing for me except help me buy my first house my first new car and introduce me to my wife of 3 years .you say there are lots of non union jobs well there is also alot of union worksites so if lakeside packers and us who you call company puppets are really so bad why are you still there hiding behind this union you say has all this support 54% of a plant is only a little better than half .there is one thing that i will agree with and thats that this is about the workers not the ufcw so why in the hell are you setting yourself up for a fall with a union famous for closing down plants?i know that i am seen as "the company" but i really do care for the people i work WITH and i hope and pray that this union doesnt leave all of you in the cold i need my job as much as im sure you need yours i guess that we know each other anonymously and i respect your thoughts try talking to your supervisor maybe he or she is a human being too! p.s see you tomorrow ON THE JOB !!!!! GOOD LUCK I THINK YOUR GOING TO NEED IT