Another consequence of the significant labor needs: the collective agreement has been reopened, and salaries increased substantially at Olymel in Saint-Hyacinthe.
The starting salary, which was $16.37 to $17.12 per hour, depending on the job title, thus increases to $20.50 and $27.50 per hour.
In addition, four months after being hired, a worker will receive a raise that will allow him to reach the maximum salary, ie $22.85 to $30.30 per hour, depending on the job title. Previously, it took three years to achieve this.
The 171 unionized workers at the Saint-Hyacinthe plant, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) affiliated with the FTQ, have just ratified by a percentage of 97% the agreement in principle which had been concluded for this purpose. The UFCW union, which has a strong presence in the agri-food sector, claims that these are “the best working conditions in the industry”.
Several other improvements have also been made: the evening premium goes from $0.65 per hour to $2 per hour. The trainer premium increases from $0.75 to $1.75 per hour. Weekend and temporary replacement premiums are also increased.
In return, there was an extension of the collective agreement. This was due to expire in 2024; it will now be in 2030. Olymel management indicates that this ensures a certain long-term industrial peace, in addition to helping it retain and recruit workers.
Three conditions
Richard Vigneault, spokesperson for Olymel, explains that the company agreed to improve working conditions in this way because it met its three conditions: “We must remain fair, equivalent” with others; “the plant must remain competitive in the market”; and “there must be a certain number of vacancies, there must be pressure, in terms of labor shortages”.
On the union side, Mario Maisonneuve, president of UFCW Local 1991-P, welcomed this reopening of the collective agreement. “The signing of this collective agreement validates our commitment to defend the interests of our members in the Montérégie region and to contribute to the improvement of their working conditions. »