ST. JEAN BAPTISTE DE ROUVILLE, QUEBEC – Union members and management at the Unidindon turkey processing plant, a joint venture between Olymel LLP and Exceldor, reached an agreement on a new six-year labor contract. The company employs more than 400 people on two shifts.

The parties reached an agreement on the new labor contract a week before the vote which was held Nov. 1 in St. Hyacinth, Quebec. The previous collective agreement expired Dec. 31, 2020, while the new six-year agreement will expire on Dec. 31, 2026.

The new agreement includes a pay increase of almost 9% upon signing of the agreement with an average of 3.5% per year for subsequent years. Additionally, the pay increment period will be reduced from the current 24 months to 12 months in 2023. Unidindon’s contribution to group insurance was increased and the vacation plan for the most senior category of employees was improved, as were certain premiums, including the night shift premium, the company said.

“Unidindon’s management is very happy with this agreement that will improve working conditions for all employees and should provide greater stability in our operations and in achieving our business goals,” said Pascal Courville, manager of the Unidindon plant. “In this difficult period caused by the pandemic, I would like to acknowledge the dedication of our employees, as well as the work of the union and company teams who allowed the negotiations to proceed smoothly, without interrupting the plant’s operations, and reached a conclusion that will benefit both parties.

“This new agreement will contribute to the continuous improvement of our work environment, which is essential to our success,” Courville said.

Unidindon is the largest turkey slaughtering, cutting and deboning facility in Canada with the capacity to slaughter 135,000 birds per week and produces a volume of more than 30 million kilos of turkey products annually, according to Unidindon. The company specializes in the production of fresh and frozen vacuum-packed whole turkeys and also supplies raw material to plants specializing in further processed products such as roasts, deli meats and ground turkey.

Unidindon serves customers throughout the Canadian market and sells its products mainly under the Flamingo, Pinty’s, Exceldor and Butterball brands.