Ottawa – August 31, 2019 – Canada’s union for meat workers, UFCW Canada, has been appointed to the federal government’s Pork and Beef Working Group to help represent the voices of pork and beef workers across the country.

The group of labour, industry, and government leaders is tasked with developing strategies to strengthen the pork and beef sectors, ensure that these industries can respond to changing global market conditions, and improve their ability to take advantage of market diversification opportunities.
The working group will also be assessing the impacts of the current temporary ban on imports of Canadian pork and beef into China and reviewing how existing government programs can respond to this situation.

The appointment comes in recognition of UFCW Canada’s major presence in the pork and beef industries, where our union represents tens of thousands of workers from coast to coast.

Other organizations appointed to the working group include the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Meat Council, Maple Leaf Foods,  Olymel, and JBS Food Canada.

"Our union looks forward to participating in this working group and collaborating with government and industry to ensure that the pork and beef sectors not only remain an integral part of our economy, but also a strong source of income and good jobs for workers across Canada,” says UFCW Canada National President Paul Meinema.

Representing over 40,000 workers in the Canadian food manufacturing sector, and more than 250,000 members across the country, UFCW Canada is the leading union for workers in the meat industry. To learn more about UFCW’s presence in the Canadian meat sector, see our union’s latest Annual Report.