Striking Cargill workers turn to Guelph Food Bank as strike drags on

Numerous striking Cargill workers and their families have turned to the Guelph Food Bank for support as the strike enters its second month.

Figures confirmed by the Guelph Food Bank show that more than 150 striking Cargill employees and their families signed up at the 100 Crimea St. location during the week of June 17 alone. That number does not include the unspecified increase in Cargill employee sign-ups reported by each of the food bank’s nine branches.

“Within a week, we have had an unprecedented number of new registrations from Cargill employees,” food bank executive director Carolyn McLeod-McCarthy told CBC News.

McLeod-McCarthy said the Guelph Food Bank serves more than 3,400 people each month.

“And it’s growing,” she said. “We haven’t seen a decline. We’re not at the status quo. We’re growing month by month.”

And with the new strike-related funding increase, pressure is mounting to meet demand, McLeod-McCarthy said. She said the striking staff’s sign-ups are putting a “huge strain” on the food bank.

“We’re not turning anyone away. But it’s going to be a difficult time keeping up with all of this.”

McLeod-McCarthy said workers told her and food bank staff they believed the strike would end much sooner and they “waited as long as they could before they got into distress.”

“We are already facing unprecedented numbers due to growth in our region, and the Cargill strike is certainly not contributing to that,” McLeod-McCarthy said.

Reaction of employers and unions

Cargill told CBC News in an emailed statement that the company was “concerned about the impact this work stoppage will have on our employees and their families.”

“Our focus is to put an end to this and get our employees back to work. We look forward to meeting with the union’s collective bargaining committee on July 2 to discuss the possibility of such a course of action,” the company said.

Sam Caetano is the director of Region 6 of the United Food and Commercial Workers, the union that represents the workers. He did not comment on the food bank applications; however, Caetano said in an interview that he was looking forward to the planned meetings with Cargill on July 2.

“I am optimistic that we can reach an agreement that will allow us to bring the matter back to the members,” he said.