Solidarity shows strong at rally for striking workers at Covered Bridge

Hartland, N.B. – February 12, 2016 – Allies and activists from across New Brunswick joined the picket line at Covered Bridge Potato Chips on February 10, where members of UFCW Canada Local 1288P are on strike for a fair first contract.

"The owners have to get the message that the members working at Covered Bridge are holding strong and will not back down," says Mark Dobson, President of the UFCW Canada Eastern Provinces Council. "Covered Bridge can afford to return back to the bargaining table and offer a fair and just agreement."

Members at Covered Bridge Potato Chips have been on strike since January 4, after the company continued to refuse bargaining for a fair first contract with a living wage and basic workplace rights including seniority. Workers at the plant voted to join the union more than two years ago.  Since then, the company has violated the province's Labour Act five times, and has been ordered to stop intimidating union supporters. Last week, the choice of employees at Covered Bridge Potato Chips to be represented by UFCW Canada Local 1288P was once again upheld and reaffirmed by the Court of Queen's Bench of New Brunswick.

The campaign for fairness at Covered Bridge Potato Chips has met with tremendous public support. Activists from all across New Brunswick have been leafleting major retailers asking customers not to buy Covered Bridge Potato Chips. Thousands of messages in support of the striking workers have been sent to the company and the government of New Brunswick. Major campuses across the region have stopped selling the chips altogether.

You can also support the campaign for fairness at Covered Bridge by sending a message to the company to get back to the bargaining table.

We'll Go All The Way from Andrew Meade on Vimeo.