CALGARY, ALBERTA — After workers at a Cargill facility in Guelph, Ontario, recently went on strike, the Cargill case-ready plant union workers in Calgary, Alberta, are possibly preparing to strike soon.

According to information from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 401, a strike vote for the Calgary plant is scheduled for June 5-6. 

Nearly 200 members of the union attended a strike preparation meeting on June 2.

The Local 401provided a note of solidarity to its fellow Guelph union members when 1,000 workers went on strike in late May.

Specifics have not been released for the Calgary strike but the union in Guelph stated that it was bargaining for an increase in pay because of higher cost of living and maintaining some pay increases that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the Guelph negotiations, UFCW workers rejected the negotiated settlement by 82%, which sent employees to the picket line.

After the Guelph strike last week Cargill released a statement saying it’s concerned about the hardships a labor disruption will pose to its employees and customers. The company said it would work with the union on next steps once they hear more from them.

Cargill added it plans to shift production to other facilities within its supply chain to minimize disruptions to customers.