Nearly 1,000 Cargill workers in Guelph are on strike, marking the end of its first week. The Guelph plant is one of the largest beef processing facilities in the country and the largest in Eastern Canada. However, this might just be the beginning. The Cargill Case Ready plant in Calgary could also see workers on the picket lines later this month, as a strike vote is scheduled for June 5-6.
The potential strike at the Calgary plant could also disrupt the beef market in many parts of the country. Meat is sourced from the major Cargill beef processing facility in High River and then transported to Calgary, where workers trim, weigh, and package it. The packaged products are shipped and distributed on the same day. The domino effect created by an idled Calgary plant could be substantial.
Each Canadian is expected to consume less than 24 kg of beef in 2024, the lowest level in more than 50 years. That’s a drop of 38.4 per cent since 1980, and most experts expect that trend to continue.