Canada: Covered Bridge Potato Chips strike enters week 6

Workers on strike at the Covered Bridge Potato Chips company in Hartland, New Brunswick are still on the picket line, five weeks after the strike began over better pay and seniority issues. Approximately half of the company’s 32 unionized workers walked off the job on Jan. 5, but on Friday, about 10 were outside carrying signs. Tom Broad, a fryer operator, said he’s determined to see the situation through. “It doesn’t matter how cold it gets we’re staying here,” said Broad. Yves Leger, secretary-treasurer of UFCW Local 1288 representing the workers, says community reaction has been almost completely supportive. The union says the company should be forced to sit down with unionized workers to hammer out a deal, but unlike many other provinces, there’s no legislation in place in New Brunswick to make that happen. More