Fish-plant workers OK strike for better pay
October 13th, 2009
About 80 per cent of workers at Presteve Foods Ltd. voted Sunday to strike for pay increases.
The Wheatley fish-processing plant was rocked last year by allegations of more than a dozen sexual assault charges against owner Joe Pratas, allegedly involving female workers from Thailand.
Despite the past upheaval in the plant, CAW Local 444 president Rick Laporte remains optimistic a new contract can be reached before the Oct. 30 strike deadline.
Laporte said negotiations are continuing with Ulysses Pratas, son of the owner, and Windsor lawyer Claudio Martini. “There’s a lot of dialogue going on.”
Morale has improved over the last year under new management, Laporte said. “I give him (Ulysses Pratas) credit.”
Categories: Labour Disputes
