The leader in commercial baking announced Thursday that it was ceasing operations at its Quebec plant four months after closing its Lévis plant. But its two plants in Montreal are not under threat of closure, the company assured The Press.
Last May, the Canadian subsidiary of the multinational announced the closure of its Lévis plant, which came to fruition in July. And now, on Thursday, Bimbo announced that a second plant, in Quebec City, is set to close by the end of 2024.
Its operations “will gradually cease as production is transferred to our other bakeries,” the company said in a statement, which it hopes will focus on optimizing and improving its operations. However, the company remained silent on the location of the factories where production will be redistributed.
In total, approximately 240 jobs – around 100 in Lévis and 140 in Quebec – were eliminated.
Operations are continuing normally at the Montreal factories, the company said.
“It was quite a shock that we had this morning, learning this sad news at the same time as everyone else,” said François Enault, first vice-president of the CSN. The union organization intends to support these workers until the end, many of whom have been unionized “for decades,” he said.
Bimbo Canada said it would offer employees “severance packages, career counseling and outplacement services,” but did not specify where. In May, when Bimbo announced it was closing its Lévis plant, it encouraged employees to apply for openings at other bakeries in the area.
“By consolidating our activities and continuing to make significant investments in our network, we will ensure the sustainability and long-term growth of our company,” explained Marie-Ève Royer, President of Bimbo Canada, in the same press release.
Bimbo Canada is a subsidiary of the Mexican multinational Grupo Bimbo, the world’s number one commercial bakery company. In Canada, it produces the Villaggio, POM, Bon Matin, Vachon and Hostess brands.
With The Canadian Press