(Montreal) Olymel announces on Wednesday the closure of two of its pork further processing plants in Laval and Blainville, which will result in the loss of 170 jobs.
In a press release, the company specializing in the processing of pork and poultry meat specified that these two closures were explained by the reorganization plan that it had already launched in 2021 to “optimize its operations”.
The activities of these two establishments will officially cease on April 28.
The Blainville plant, on the North Shore of Montreal, employs 134 people; that of Laval 36.
Affected employees have already been notified; they benefit from a 12-week notice of dismissal, Olymel said.
They will have the possibility of being relocated to other establishments of the company. The “relocation plan” for employees will be presented “over the next few weeks”.
“The decision to close the Blainville and Laval plants in the further processed pork sector is part of the reorganization undertaken more than a year ago and is explained by the ability of several other plants to repatriate production at these two establishments in order to achieve savings and efficiency gains,” said Olymel President and CEO Yanick Gervais.
“Today’s announcement should allow us to more quickly achieve our objectives of optimizing operations in the context of an unfavorable economic environment where the increase in the cost of raw materials, the shortage of labor and the weakness of certain markets combine to affect the company’s profitability,” added Mr. Gervais.
Reached by telephone, the United Food and Commercial Workers union, affiliated with the FTQ, said it was “saddened to learn” of these closures.
The union promises to “make every effort to facilitate the smooth transition of workers to other factories”. He notes that with the labor shortage, particularly in this field, these employees are in demand.
He also stressed that the reclassification committee should be set up quickly.
The workers in these two factories produce ham, pâtés and charcuterie, marketed under the La Tour Eiffel and Nostrano brands. Olymel specifies that most of these brands will be maintained and that they will be produced in other establishments.
Olymel has several plants in Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick, Alberta and Saskatchewan.