There's another outbreak at the Cargill meat-processing plant just north of High River.

According to the union, UFCW Local 401, the plant is facing at least 45 new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

 

Cargill released the following response:

Like everyone, we are seeing cases in our facilities, including High River, ebb and flow as communities work to manage the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.  

Thanks to partnership with local health officials, we have hosted two successful vaccine clinics for our employees in High River. The facility has an employee vaccination rate over 84 percent and we are actively encouraging boosters to further protect our workforce.

The facility remains operational, though at a slightly reduced capacity to its typical pandemic output. Safety measures at the facility, including temperature testing, enhanced cleaning and sanitizing, face coverings, screening between employee stations, prohibiting visitors, adopting social distancing practices where possible and staggered breaks have been in place since the beginning of the pandemic and remain in place now.

We continue to work to meet the needs of our customers and producers who we know  join us in thanking our valued employees for their ongoing dedication throughout the pandemic.

 

UFCW Local 401 president, Thomas Hesse sent a letter last Thursday, Jan. 6 stating their concerns:

Please immediately advise what steps you are taking to meet this threat:

  • Have you had an independent ventilation and air quality assessment done?
  • Are you providing employees with masks of a nature and quality that meet the transmissibility threat of the Omicron variant?
  • Have you adjusted your approach to sick pay and absences to ensure that workers can comfortably stay home if they are symptomatic without loss of income?
  • Are you making rapid testing available to your employees to detect and mitigate outbreaks as quickly as possible?

We ask that you share relevant data with us and that you do so immediately.

The union and Cargill recently avoided strike action as both parties were able to come to an agreement on December 4, 2021.

 

RELATED:

Cargill Workers Reach a Hard Decision on Proposed Contract

 

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