How do these wages compare to US packing plants?

[Big Muddy rancher]

Workers at Lakeside Packers in Brooks, Alberta have ratified a 51 month labour contract, ending a strike that began on October 12. The plant resumed operations with all of its workers on Monday.
>
>The acrimonious labour dispute pitted workers who supported the strike action against workers who were willing to cross the picket line.
>
>The ratified contract includes a $1 increase in the starting hourly production wage to $13. There are increases of $1.60 an hour in base wages over the course of the contract, starting with an immediate 30 cent increase. By the end of the contract, the top hourly production pay will be $17.65 in slaughter and $16.75 in processing.
>

 

[rkaiser]

Well BMR, I guees the end is near. Tyson foods will be closing their doors before that $17.00 wage will ever be paid. I imagine Cargill will be right behind. Might as well start that antelope herd you've been talking about. I hear they will still take those little fellers live on those boats on a backhaul from those third world counties that keep sending those folks looking for the promise land here in Canadar.

 

[Econ101]

Workers at Lakeside Packers in Brooks, Alberta have ratified a 51 month labour contract, ending a strike that began on October 12. The plant resumed operations with all of its workers on Monday.
>
>The acrimonious labour dispute pitted workers who supported the strike action against workers who were willing to cross the picket line.
>
>The ratified contract includes a $1 increase in the starting hourly production wage to $13. There are increases of $1.60 an hour in base wages over the course of the contract, starting with an immediate 30 cent increase. By the end of the contract, the top hourly production pay will be $17.65 in slaughter and $16.75 in processing.
>

The "shrink" on those numbers is about 16 cents per dollar at Friday's Wall Street Journal of 1.1892 Canadian dollars per each U.S. dollar.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Well BMR, I guees the end is near. Tyson foods will be closing their doors before that $17.00 wage will ever be paid. I imagine Cargill will be right behind. Might as well start that antelope herd you've been talking about. I hear they will still take those little fellers live on those boats on a backhaul from those third world counties that keep sending those folks looking for the promise land here in Canadar.

Actully I was thinking of breeding Galloway, if they can live in Alberta they would thrive in Sask.
Does the company that processes your beef use slave labour?

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Workers at Lakeside Packers in Brooks, Alberta have ratified a 51 month labour contract, ending a strike that began on October 12. The plant resumed operations with all of its workers on Monday.
>
>The acrimonious labour dispute pitted workers who supported the strike action against workers who were willing to cross the picket line.
>
>The ratified contract includes a $1 increase in the starting hourly production wage to $13. There are increases of $1.60 an hour in base wages over the course of the contract, starting with an immediate 30 cent increase. By the end of the contract, the top hourly production pay will be $17.65 in slaughter and $16.75 in processing.
>

The "shrink" on those numbers is about 16 cents per dollar at Friday's Wall Street Journal of 1.1892 Canadian dollars per each U.S. dollar.

Were Canadian we know all about the exchange rate. You did not answer my question.

 

[rkaiser]

Actully I was thinking of breeding Galloway, if they can live in Alberta they would thrive in Sask.
Does the company that processes your beef use slave labour?

We don't like to call it slave labour BMR, just under ten years of age. That way if they cut off a finger it'll often just grow back? Too young for those Union things as well.

 

[Jason]

Sunterra Foods is advertising for line workers at their plant. Starting wage is $10.60/hr. They say top potential is $18.60 but appears to be based on some kind of percentage of profits. They don't explain that part very well in the ad.

Cargill was advertising for third shift cleaners starting at $11.00/hr.

For reference Alberta has a minimum wage of $7.00/hr.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Thanks Jason, I was hoping someone in the US could post wages in plant down there so we could have a comparison. I have alway thought that wages in Canada might be high adding to our cost of production but was curious to find out the facts.

 

[Jason]

I have heard but don't know for sure that wages in the US plants start around $9.00/hr confirmation would be nice.

 

[Murgen]

Would lower wages in the US plants be indicative of the income that US citizens are able to pay for the consumer goods they produce?

How does that affect the demand for higher retail priced goods?

Would certain industries be better off if efficiencies were increased to provide those competing goods at competitive prices, so demand remains stable?

Would those efficiencies be better suited to the large coporations providing the retail goods, or the producers of the raw product?

Some are calling for advertisement of the finished product, by manufacturer. How does the manufacturer of these finished goods provide advertisement, if they are provided with the tools to be efficient and profitable on production? Would the provider of the raw product advertise more if the manufacturer was only "breakeven"?

What $'s would they advertise with?

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Would lower wages in the US plants be indicative of the income that US citizens are able to pay for the consumer goods they produce?

How does that affect the demand for higher retail prices of certain goods?

MAN YOUR DEEP. :cowboy:

 

[Sandhusker]

Would lower wages in the US plants be indicative of the income that US citizens are able to pay for the consumer goods they produce?

How does that affect the demand for higher retail prices of certain goods?

MAN YOUR DEEP. :cowboy:

BMR is right.

I think you've been hitting that king-size bong again.... :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Randy the packer blamer: "Well BMR, I guees the end is near. Tyson foods will be closing their doors before that $17.00 wage will ever be paid. I imagine Cargill will be right behind."

This simply adds to the cost of production and means that Tyson's Lakeside plant will have that much less to spend on cattle in order to still make a profit.

I suppose you actually thought they'd lose money huh? YOU DID?

It's too bad you are so ignorant of what is involved in running a packing plant and here you are involved in a producer driven plant. There's a scary thought!


~SH~

 

[rkaiser]

The scarier thought is following a goof like SH down the road to what he calls free enterprise. :roll:

Support every move the multinationals make until the truth behind his idology is revealed.

No difference between government controled industry and industry controled government. Communism at it's finest.

As long as SH can keep his government gopher trappin job as a paying sideline for his packer puppet super hero job.

 

[rkaiser]

It is amazing how simply fine it is for a goof like SH to keep telling us over and over how is HAS to be. Packers must pass on any extra cost to the producer.

Our society has become lulled by puppets like SH into apathy.

Corporate welfare is the way of SH's future. If you can't keep up, you are a useless part of the puzzle. Let the big ranches get bigger with the same kind of corporate welfare system that built the mutinationals, and spit on the producer who believes in TRUE free enterprise.

Those who actually add value to their product rather than pass costs on to the pion below. Packers have the same opportunity to add value to the product they produce but have become accustomed to checkoff money doing that for them. Lobby and whine to the government may have been invented by farmers but perfected by mutinationals.

Tell me how a producer who has reduced his costs as low as he possibly can and then went out and added value to his product is less of a believer in free enterprise than a millionare who invests in ranching because of the tax advantages and then gets bigger because of the welfare cheques?

Keep that red cape flying SH, you're the hero.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Randy that Chip on your shoulder is getting bigger. Just because some people don't agree with your Big C Idea doesn't mean the we don't admire what you are doing to sell your beef. In fact SH had marketed beef through USPB which was not on of the big boys but a COOP that added value and offered carcass info back to the producer to help them develop the carcass that they could pay the most for. Thinking outside the box trying something different. Maybe you two and too much alike.

I would bet you went ahead with your Celtic Beef with out the government telling you you had to. I would also bet that you make your own agreements to purchase beef with out the government telling you how.
By the way do you know the bull Blackcat of Lone pine?

 

[rkaiser]

You're right Big Muddy, I don't like or want government involvement, unlike the hordes of lobbyists working for Cargill and Tyson. Canadian Celtic encourages producer ownership right up the chain so your comment about how we buy cattle is moot.

Sure would like to see government listen to the people rather than their Mutinational buddies when it comes to BSE testing if it could open export marketing. How about you BMR. Do you side with SH and the Packers on this one?

If you can get your hands on the old black cat, go for it. Whether you want to become part of some free enterprise chain or give your good cattle to Cargill, he'll do you some good. His owner is one of the best cattlemen I know in Canada. Some of the best short grass Angus bulls anywhere. I'll tell you who he bought his latest Galloway herd sire from if you promise to keep it a secret.