Ste. Agathe, Man. – June 4, 2018 – Workers at the Viterra plant in Ste. Agathe, Manitoba are the newest members of UFCW Canada Local 832 after a successful organizing drive. The members had recently approached the union voicing their desire to unionize in order to achieve a fairer, more respectful workplace.

Viterra falls under federal jurisdiction and the Canadian Industrial Relations Board as opposed to the Manitoba Labour Relations Board. As a result, after getting enough signatures from employees wanting union representation, UFCW Canada Local 832 was certified as the workers’ official bargaining agent.

“Congratulations to the employees of Viterra for standing strong! They should be very proud of their accomplishment,” says UFCW Canada Local 832 President Jeff Traeger. “We are proud to welcome them to a union that has a strong voice in the plant processing sector,” he adds.

The Ste. Agathe plant is a canola seed-crushing facility. It receives seeds and crushes them to extract the oil, which is then incorporated into various consumer products. The 46 unionized employees at the plant range from receivers to electricians to millwrights.