Striking workers at London’s Dr. Oetker factory have set up multiple picketlines Wednesday as 251 members United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 175 went on a legal strike at midnight.
Fred Teeple, spokesperson for UFCW, stated that talks between the unions and the company have failed. There is no time frame for the return of the table.
The relationship between the employer, the members and the employer is not good. He says it’s a toxic environment, and we want to address it.
Workers protested at the frozen pizza maker Wednesday, located at Bradley Avenue & Veterans Memorial Parkway.
They also blocked the truck’s entrance, causing at least one delay in delivery while CTV News was there.
Teeple claims workers rejected the latest offer from the company by a vote of 91% to 71%. This follows a strike mandate that was 88 percent last November.
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), local 175 striking at Dr. Oetker’s plant in London, Ont. on February 16, 2022. (Sean Irvine/CTV London)
As inflation continues to rise and London’s food processing industry continues its growth, workers in London are expressing their desire for better wages and working conditions. Wages for unionized workers are between $19 and $24 an hour.
Teeple believes his members want more.
It’s an economic strike. We want more money, and that’s why these workers are here.
Teeple also points to the extra stress that Dr. Oetker employees are under.
He says that COVID-19 spread quickly and many industries were left idle, but they responded to the high demand for food.
These workers have had to endure hardships during the pandemic. This is how I refer to people who come to work every day to make sure their families have enough food.
Stewart Carne and other workers are preparing to strike for a long time, as their families are left struggling to survive on the strike pay.
They basically locked us out and put up extra gates there. However, they were willing to come work for a while, says Carne.
The line appears to be firmly established as the strike chants of unjust contract begin.
One employee told CTV News that they had won, and that they would win if they just gave it enough time.
In 2015, Dr. Oetker’s plant was merged shortly after it opened.
CTV News has not been able to reach company representatives.
