Canada: Covered Bridge Potato Chips workers stage strike

Unionized employees at Covered Bridge Potato Chips near Hartland in New Brunswick have walked out and are now on strike to back demands for a first contract with the company. The 32 members of United Food and Commerical Workers Local 1288P have been in a legal strike position since June. About 16 union members are picketing outside the company’s factory in Hartland. New Brunswick Federation of Labour president Patrick Colford said the main issues in the contract dispute are wages and seniority when it comes to scheduling, layoffs and call-backs. Most of the workers make minimum wage. A New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board ruling from August 2015 reveals a bitter dispute between Covered Bridge president Ryan Albright and the union. More