The union representing workers at Cargill’s High River meatpacking plant plans to appeal a ruling that found the company took reasonable steps to protect workers in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local No. 401 filed a grievance and went to arbitration after more than 900 workers tested positive for COVID-19 in early 2020.
In April of that year, over 10 per cent of Alberta’s total cases were linked to the plant, according to information provided at the time by Dr. Deena Hinshaw, who was then Alberta's chief medical officer of health.
The workers’ union said calls for more stringent safety measures and a temporary closure of the plant were ignored, and it claimed that Cargill failed in its duty to protect staff during the pandemic.
In a June 10 ruling, arbitrator James Casey wrote that Cargill took reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of workers.
The grievance focused on the time between the beginning of the pandemic and late April 2020. At the time, Cargill’s safety measures were focused on spread of the virus through droplets and by surface contact.
“In the relevant timeframe, none of the public health authorities publicly acknowledged a possibility of aerosol transmission,” Casey wrote.
“The public health authorities said that COVID-19 was spread through droplet and surface transmission and specifically discounted any possibility of aerosol transmission.”
With nearly 2,000 workers at the plant, the union was seeking $10,000 in damages for each employee.
In a press release following the decision, the union said it was frustrated over the “shameful and callous arbitration decision about those workers' safety during the pandemic.”
The outbreak was one of the biggest in North America to occur at a workplace, the union said.
"While many Albertans could work from home during that period, our Cargill members could not," said UFCW Local 401 president Thomas Hesse.
The union said it is currently reviewing the details of the decision and preparing an appeal.
Two Cargill workers lost their lives during the early days of the outbreak.
