Beef Farmers Call for Resolution to Cargill Labour Dispute

Guelph, Ont. – We remain highly concerned by the ongoing labour dispute between members of UFCW Local 175 and the Cargill Dunlop facility in Guelph.

In the short-term, beef farmers have been mitigating the impact by sourcing alternative facilities in Canada and the U.S. to process their cattle, or keeping animals on farm for a longer period of time, both of which present unique challenges and, in many cases, additional costs. We do remain concerned about the sustainability of these efforts if the strike is prolonged.

The supply chain challenges that come with the loss of eastern Canada’s largest beef processor cannot be understated, consequences that will only increase with each passing day and week that the strike continues.

Yesterday afternoon, we were fortunate to meet with Ontario’s new Minister of Agriculture, Rob Flack, to brief him on the current situation, reiterate the significance of the disruption, and outline our list of short-term measures that we believe will help mitigate the extra costs associated with marketing and transporting cattle to new locations, if the dispute persists.

Since the onset of the strike, our leadership has been in close contact with government representatives, the Canadian Cattle Association, the National Cattle Feeders’ Association and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to discuss the current and evolving situation, and potential mitigation measures that could be invoked if the strike is prolonged.

Beef farmers who need to move cattle have been grateful for the remaining buyers and processors in the marketplace who have been helping to manage the growing backlog.

While we fully respect and support the collective bargaining process, we urge both sides to get to the negotiating table and a find workable solution as soon as possible.