Covered Bridge Potato Chips workers on strike

Unionized employees at Covered Bridge Potato Chips near Hartland have walked out and are now on strike to back demands for a first contract with the company.

The 32 members of United Food and Commerical Workers Local 1288P have been in a legal strike position since June.

About 16 union members are picketing outside the company's factory in Hartland. The union said work at the plant is continuing and some employees have crossed the picket line.

Patrick Colford, the president of the New Brunswick Federation of Labour, said the main issues in the contract dispute are wages and seniority when it comes to scheduling, layoffs and call-backs. Most of the workers earn minimum wage.

Striking employee Betty Demerchant, whose job is cutting potatoes (but is also trained in most of the plant's jobs and fills in for other employees on their breaks):
 

"The wage issue would be minimum wage."

"I've got a 10-cent raise in almost five years."

A New Brunswick Labour and Employment Board ruling from August 2015 reveals a bitter dispute between Covered Bridge president Ryan Albright and the union.

The union filed an official complaint of unfair labour practices against the company and Albright. Reconciliation efforts were unsuccessful.

The labour board found Albright and the company had violated five sections of the Labour and Employment Act.

Both were ordered to cease and desist from interfering with union representation of the employees and from trying to intimidate employees from participating in the union or trying to influence how they may vote in any vote taken under the act.

The Covered Bridge Potato Chips Company released a statement that the production is unaffected by the strike:
 

"We want you, our loyal chip fans, customers and suppliers to know that this is just a small bump in the road that many family–run businesses encounter and we are motivated to getting past this."

"All production and business operations will continue without a slip in quality or service."