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Calgary meat plant workers file for unionization

If it goes through, it’ll affect 45 workers.

Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their first new applications report of 2025. In it was an application for union certification.

Local 362 of the General Teamsters filed the application on 2 January on behalf of workers employed by Sunrise Poultry Processors Ltd.

Based out of British Columbia, Sunrise processes a variety of poultry and other meat products, as well as vegetarian products. They have locations throughout Canada.

The application is for workers employed at Sunrise’s Calgary location, except those working in office, clerical, security, supervisory, or quality control positions.

To apply for certification, unions must show that they have 40% support among the affected workers. In this case, that means they should already have support from 18 of the 45 workers.

If the ALRB approves the application and holds a certification vote, assuming all 18 of those workers votes in favour of unionizing, they’d need to bring on just 5 more workers to have a majority and win the vote.

Should these workers be successful in unionizing, their first order of business will be to organize a negotiating committee and begin bargaining for their first collective agreement with Sunrise.

Because the ALRB doesn’t archive their new application reports, I have included a copy of last week’s report below.

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By Kim Siever

Kim Siever is an independent queer journalist based in Lethbridge, Alberta, and writes daily news articles, focusing on politics and labour.

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