The latest stories on the pandemic’s impact on the food industry
Canada’s food processing industry has become among the most dangerous places to work during the pandemic. Food production workers need your support.
Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau
Invisible Heroes: Letter to PM Trudeau
Ottawa, May 3 2020 - We are calling on the Prime Minister for the federal government to provide a national response to the COVID-19 outbreaks in food production facilities across the country.
85% of workers afraid to return as Alberta meat plant preps to reopen after COVID-19 outbreak, union says
Source: CBC News
Calgary, May 3 2020 - The union representing workers at an Alberta meat-packing plant, the site of one of North America's largest COVID-19 outbreaks, continues to fight to prevent the facility from reopening on Monday as planned.
As meat plant infections rise, Canada lets packers choose when to close
Source: The Guardian
Winnipeg, Manitoba (Reuters), May 1 2020 - In Cargill Inc's High River, Alberta plant, supplier of more than one-third of Canada's beef, 391 workers were sick with coronavirus when the company suspended operations, according to provincial health officials.
B.C. to set its own COVID-19 workplace safety rules after outbreaks
Source: The Globe & Mail
Victoria, April 30 2020 - British Columbia will impose its own safety plans in the workplace after a COVID-19 outbreak at two federally regulated chicken processing plants in Metro Vancouver showed Ottawa failed to protect those workers, provincial health officials say.
Trump orders meat processing plants to remain open
Source: The Seattle Times
Washington (AP), April 28 2020 — President Donald Trump took executive action Tuesday to order meat processing plants to stay open amid concerns over growing coronavirus cases and the impact on the nation’s food supply.
Preventive measures at Alberta meat plants came too late to stop outbreaks, union officials say
Source: The Star
Calgary, April 23 2020 —The rapid spread of COVID-19 at Canada’s meat-packing plants isn’t a surprise, say union and health officials.
COVID-19 outbreak declared at Vancouver food processing plant with 28 confirmed cases
Source: Penticton Now
Vancouver, April 21, 2020 - Vancouver Coastal Health has declared an outbreak of COVID-19 among staff at United Poultry Company Ltd.
JBS Canada is the latest meat packer to be infected by COVID-19
Invisible Heroes: Press Release
Ottawa, April 21 2020 – Sixty-seven people associated with the operations of one of Canada’s largest beef slaughter facilities have tested positive for COVID-19.
Food processing staff need protection
Invisible Heroes: Press Release
Ottawa, April 17 2020 - Federal and provincial authorities have been slow to safeguard inspection, veterinarian, and production staff who work in the food industry in Canada in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak, in spite of the strategic importance of this industry according to the Agriculture Union which represents inspectors who work for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
On Harmony Beef Kenney is irresponsible and wrong
Invisible Heroes: Press Release
Ottawa, March 29 2020 – Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is wrong to assert that the Harmony meat plant was shut down because federal inspectors refuse to work there. There have been no work refusals by federal food inspectors in Alberta to date.