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Kristylee Varley
AM800 CKLW
Sunday, September 27th 2020
Etna Foods in Leamington has ratified a new three year collective agreement.
Union Vice President Manny Cardoso says the eight members of Unifor Local 444 voted 100% in favour of the deal.
“[The deal] Actually expired March 31 but due to COVID we couldn't do any bargaining so we pushed it back until now,” he says. “They're one of two fisheries that have unionized out in the county and both have suffered some pretty big losses due to the restaurant industry being shut down for the most part."
Cardoso says the new deal puts workers at par or slightly above other fisheries in the area.
“It's about wage improvements, benefit improvements and some extra time off the job.”
He says, while members were happy with the deal, you can never bargain a perfect contract.
“There was some stuff that we left on the table that the workers wanted that we weren't able to attain, that is bargaining, but we feel and obviously the workers agreed that the majority of the stuff they wanted we did get back and bring back to them.”
The new deal expires in March 2023.
