Strike at Ontario Food Terminal slows trucks
Posted April 21, 2016 5:20 am.
Last Updated April 21, 2016 8:28 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A strike by members of the Teamsters Union Local 419 slowed trucks at the Ontario Food Terminal on Thursday morning.
Picketers near The Queensway and Park Lawn Road were only letting drivers in at every other light.
The job action began around 1 a.m.
“We’re on strike against Fresh Taste Produce Limited,” Ken Dean, a member of the union, told CityNews.
“We’re negotiating the first collective agreement for these members. Everything is outstanding. It’s down to monetary issues: pensions, benefits and wages,” he said.
The average wage for his members, Dean said, is around $20 an hour. There are about 250 to 300 people in the union, he said, and there are 13 members employed by Fresh Taste Produce Limited.
While the negotiations had been in good faith, they had hit an impasse.
The strike will affect small independent grocers like Rabba and convenience stores. Large grocery stores such as Loblaws and Sobeys will feel a minimal effect as they have their own warehouses and do not use the Food Terminal.
Independent farmers will also be affected as they will face delays getting their produce to markets.
