Prairie Pride Natural Foods Ltd.

From Negotiations report February, 2007

On February 6th, 2007, the members at Prairie Pride Natural Foods Ltd. voted overwhelmingly in favour of accepting their first Collective Agreement.   Prairie Pride employs 107 employees in their poultry processing and packing plant in Saskatoon.  

 

Highlights of the new five year Collective Agreement include:

  • Two paid 15 minute breaks and an unpaid 1/2 hour meal break (including 2 minutes of paid travel allowance for each break);

  • After an hour and a half of overtime, a ten dollar meal allowance is granted;

  •  Most Available hours language for part-time employees;

  •  Job rotation provisions;

  •  Vacation provisions language allowing for up to six weeks of vacation with pay;

  •  Paid leave of absence of up to four working days in the event of death, serious accident or illness of a parent, spouse, brother sister or child;

  •  Three working days of paid bereavement leave in the event of a death in the workers immediate family;

  •  Four hours of paid sick leave per month, provided the employee works all scheduled shifts in that month;

  •  Health benefit coverage will be provided at 60% paid by company 40% paid by the employee starting in 2008 and improved to 70% paid by the company and 30% paid by the employee in 2010;

  •  Workers will join the UFCW SK Dental Plan effective 2008 and the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan (CCWIPP) effective 2010;

  •  A footwear allowance provision;

  •  Night shift premium of 35¢ per hour improving to 40¢ per hour in 2010;

  •  Sunday shift premium of 35¢ per hour, and

  •  Approximately 16% in wage increases over the term of the Agreement with a $500 signing bonus.

 Special thanks to this hard working bargaining committee consisting of Dan Knudsen, Anne McFall, Gary Schenn and Chris Kotlar, and assisted by Secretary Treasurer Norm Neault and Special Project Union Representative Brandi Tracksell.

 

The Representative assigned to this unit is Darren Kurmey.  He can be reached by calling the Saskatoon office.