More than 150 Cargill workers turn to Guelph Food Bank as strike enters second month

The strike at a Cargill meat processing plant in Guelph has now entered its second month, leaving many employees in a difficult situation.

“We saw over 150 Cargill workers coming in our own doors here at our Crimea Street location and another 50 or so at our other eight locations,” said Carolyn McLeod McCarthy, managing director at the Guelph Food Bank.

The strike, which began in late May over wage disputes and working conditions, has forced workers to make tough choices.

“We don't usually see this many all at once,” McLeod McCarthy told CTV News Saturday. ”So Monday we signed up 25 in one morning on top of everybody else, and yesterday we saw 67 people through it.”

The increase in demand is putting pressure on what McLeod McCarthy says is an already stressed service.

“It's a lot more difficult now just because of the high cost of living. Guelph has a higher cost of living than a lot of other cities in Canada. So, you know, we're seeing an influx and hopefully things settle down.”

The food bank calls the number of recent sign ups unprecedented.

“This month we've seen almost 3,700 [individuals] so that's an increase of over 700 just from January until now. It just keeps growing and we don't really see an end in sight, so we're doing what we can to help.”

McLeod McCarthy says they need the community's support more than ever.

‘We are seeing new sign ups every single day since the strike. A few of the big items are rice, pasta, pasta sauce, meats, canned meats, canned fruit,” she said.

The food bank is also looking for more monetary donations to buy food in bulk.

“Money actually goes a lot further right now then food donations,” McLeod McCarthy said. “Of course, we still want those food donations, but the money helps us purchase the most necessary items.”

Cargill, in an email to CTV News, said: “We are concerned about the impacts this labour disruption has had on our employees and their families. Our focus is on putting an end to it and welcoming our employees back to work. We look forward to meeting with the union bargaining committee on July 2 to discuss the possibility of doing so.”

CTV News reached out to United Food and Commercial Workers Local 175, the union representing workers, for comment but did not receive a response by our deadline.

Donations can be made on the Guelph Food Bank’s website.

Food donations can be dropped off at the back door of their warehouse at 100 Crimea Street on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.