On Tuesday, Norm Neault, president of Local 1400 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, told the Times-Herald the workers expect to return because of the layoff notices that were sent out in April.
“It’s been five months and that’s a long time to be out of work,” he said. It’s difficult for laid-off workers to pay bills and live on employment insurance, he added.
On April 24, XL Foods Inc. issued layoff notices to its entire staff of approximately 200 employees at its Moose Jaw facility.
At the time, the company announced that it would temporarily cease production at the facility until Sept. 28, saying that cull and fed cattle supplies had recently diminished to the level that it was not possible to effectively operate the plant.
Neault said incentives by the provincial government have increased herd numbers, which makes him optimistic the plant will re-open. Also, the union president said the fact the Canadian dollar is stronger than it was in April should alleviate some of the company’s other concerns.
He said some laid off workers have found work elsewhere, while others are in training for new careers and may not want to return to XL Beef. Therefore, the company must know how many new staff it will have to hire.
Despite repeated attempts over two weeks, XL Foods officials did not respond to the Times-Herald’s requests for an interview.
Carter Haydu can be reached at 691-1265.
NOTE: Due to false information supplied to the Times-Herald, the story in Wednesday's edition, incorrectly indicates that the workers are waiting for recall notices by Sept. 14. In fact, the recall notices were sent on April 24 with the layoff notices.
