First Load Crosses the Border

[kato]

Truckload of Canadian cattle enters U.S.
Last Updated Mon, 18 Jul 2005 14:54:39 EDT
CBC News
A truck carrying live Canadian cattle crossed the border from Ontario into the United States on Monday morning, after a ban of more than two years was lifted.


INDEPTH: Mad Cow Disease

Agriculture Canada told CBC News that a second truck would ship more cattle into the United States from Alberta later in the day.

Officials with the federal agriculture department wouldn't specify where the trucks were crossing or where they were heading, citing privacy concerns.

However, the Schaus Land and Cattle Company of Elmwood, Ont., said it shipped a load of 35 cattle across the border at Lewiston, N.Y., at about noon.

Ken Schaus told a radio station that the cattle were destined for a Pennsylvania slaughter facility.

The 26-month border closure, imposed in May 2003 when the first case of mad cow disease was confirmed in a Canadian-born animal, devastated the country's cattle industry. The Canadian Cattlemen's Association has estimated that the ban cost producers more than $5.6 billion.

Last week, a U.S. federal appeals court overturned a temporary injunction that was keeping the border closed, opening the door for live cattle under the age of 30 months to begin moving south again.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture had said that in light of the ruling, it would immediately begin the process to resume imports.

Canadian and U.S. governments had to work out export rules before cattle could begin moving, including permits, detailed descriptions of the animals and the routes the trucks would take to the border.

The USDA was ready to open the border on March 7, but days before a Montana judge granted a temporary injunction sought by the American ranchers' group R-CALF, which argued Canada doesn't adequately test for mad cow disease.

The border fight is not yet over. R-CALF is to go back to court before the same judge on July 27, seeking to make the injunction permanent. It's not clear what the appeals court decision means for that hearing.

R-CALF has said it would take the matter to the Supreme Court.

The U.S. resumed the import of some cuts of Canadian beef in August 2003, but wouldn't allow live cattle to cross the border.
There have been three cases of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), in total in Canada. The first case in the U.S. – an infected cow in Washington state in December 2003 – was born in Canada.

In June, the U.S. confirmed its first case of BSE in a U.S.-born cow.

[Cattleman]

I must say, I was pretty skeptical and I am actually surprised it happened this fast.

My question is though, does anyone know what was the mix in the load? Was it steers and heifers or just steers? Not sure what the protocol is for heifers going to slaughter, and when will feeder cattle start going across? What is required for them?
Still lots of questions.

[kato]

As far as I know, heifers for slaughter have to be guaranteed open. That means adding a preg check to the inspection process.

[kato]

From what I understand there are a large number of liners booked to start shipping from AB. Apparently there are trucks booked on the US side to take the cattle to their destination allowing the AB. liners to go back for another load. I understand that the intent is to get as many across the border as possible prior to the 27th just in case.

[15444]

Apparently there are 5 loads ready to leave Alberta in the morning. Or so the news told me Good news all around anyways.

[PureCountry]

I think you have a good point there emerald1. If I was Cor Van Raay or any other large feeder, I'd have every liner, gooseneck, tag-along, wheel barrow and Radio Flyer in the country booked to get them across before July 27th. Who would want to wait and leave things in the hands of old Cebul?

Get 'em across before somethin' else happens that gives them an excuse to slam it shut again. 'Course, it's not like they've needed an excuse for the last 26 months.

[pandiana]

I am surprised that no one has mentioned the impact that closure of Lakeside because of the strike will have on our prices. There is little optimism that this strike will end soon, therefore, more pressure will be exerted on getting cattle accross the border. These will be more expensive cattle, no doubt, and will effect the prices we receive.

CBC was saying that Lakeside could let this strike go on indefinately in order to break the union. Where is our 'Made in Canada' solution now!

[farmers_son]

http://www.cattlenetwork.com/content.asp?contentid=6104

Cattle Update: Tyson Foods' Lakeside Packers Served Strike Notice

WINNIPEG (Dow Jones)--A strike notice has been served to Tyson Foods' (TSN) Lakeside Packers located in Brooks, Alberta, by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 401, according to a notice posted on the union's Web site.

"A strike will commence Wednesday, July 20, at 5 a.m. at Tyson Foods/Lakeside Packers plant in Brooks unless the company negotiates a fair collective agreement with its workers," said UFCW Local 401 President Douglas O'Halloran in the notice.

"The Union has also offered binding arbitration to the employer to avert a strike. President O'Halloran also stated in the notice that "the company has a choice to make ... they can force a strike or prevent one. It is up to them."

Unionized workers at the Tyson Foods owned-Lakeside Packers cattle slaughterhouse had been poised to go on strike if contract talks broke down during the weekend, a union official previously said.

In a strike mandate vote held in June, 70% of the workers in attendance voted in favor of a strike.

Union officials last week said the company had not made an acceptable offer and blamed it on the company's desire to keep the union out of the plant.

Union officials had been looking for a collective agreement similar to one achieved by Cargill employees. Workers at Cargill Ltd.'s Alberta slaughterhouse have a contract guaranteeing C$2.00-per-hour pay increases over the next four years. Lakeside officials had only been offering a 30 cents-per-hour increase. Lakeside's offer was also seen as being behind Cargill in terms of holidays, health plan, disability pay, etc.

Lakeside Packers has a daily slaughter capacity of 3,800 cattle. The capacity is slated to increase to 4,700 in the fall.

Company and union officials were both unavailable for comment.

Lakeside Packers located in Brooks, Alberta, Canada is a wholly owned subsidiary of IBP - a part of the Tyson Foods family.

-By Dwayne Klassen, Dow Jones Newswires; (204)-947-1700;

resnews@compuserve.com

[farmers_son]

This Lakeside labor dispute may backfire if the cattle keep rolling across the border for slaughter.

[cakadu]

The one thing that has me concerned with respect to the Lakeside strike is the union leader. Heard him on Rutherford this morning - they were talking about the shortage of skilled labour in AB - and he was talking about the number of animals that go through the line and what happens should the line have a stoppage for whatever reason i.e. mechanical breakdown. The point he was trying to make was one of less than optimal working conditions in order to bolster the workers' case. What he could end up doing is creating a customer problem where producers don't necessarily want one. He talked about how the numbers have to go through and if there is a shutdown of the line, then the numbers have to be caught up somehow and that could mean that SRMs are potentially missed, thus creating a food safety problem. I'm not sure that is the message they want to send to ensure that consumers remain confident in the safety of their food. That one could backfire on them as well.

Cowman, when we did the labour market study in food processing about 5 or 6 years ago, one of the representatives from Cargill said that the turnover rate is about 60%. Now that could have changed, but with the current employment level being full (anything less than 4% is considered full employment) it may be harder to find replacement workers for the plant if the strike does proceed.

[cowman]

I thought IBP was having all kinds of trouble finding workers anyway? Seems they couldn't import them fast enough to keep up with the turnovers!
I guess their "razor thin margins" don't allow them to pay very much?
What is with these guys? How much of a no brainer is it to match Cargills wages and keep the gravy train going? I mean, come on...50 cent an hour increase? I doubt that even is the cost of living increase?

[rkaiser]

Follow the money for a moment. Border opens. Margins at Lakeside lower. Time for a break. Let things settle out for a while in a time where profits might be low anyway.

I think Lakeside wanted the strike.

First time in history that our Alberta Government may have done something that Tyson did not want.

[kato]

I bet they wanted it too.

Just think, they have a workforce that's 60% immigrant, from a country that is as different from Canada as you can get. Break the union, and trust me, this will not be a good place to work.

The last place I want to put the reputation of my cattle is in the hands of a corner cutting, rush 'em through plant, full of low moral workers who will soon come to not care about the quality of their work.

After the past two years, "We can't afford to pay our employees" ain't gonna get much sympathy from us.

[cowman]

Well Tyson/IBP don't like unions. Sort of like Walmart?
The really dumb part of that philosophy is you don't need a union if you treat your people right? There are lots of US companies that don't deal with unions but still have a very productive and happy labor force? A lot of big oil companies come to mind?
However if you treat a person like a dog don't be surprized when he bites you!