calf prices coming down?

[cowman]

A guy told me at the calf sale last week at VJV the prices were off close to 10 cents from the week before. He figured the Lakeside strike is probably coming home to roost? He claimed it was costing $5,000 to get a liner load into the US? Does that sound about right?
Klein says his hands are tied and he can't do anything...is this true? How did he avert a strike earlier if he can't do anything now?
Apparently Lakeside is killing a small number of cattle but it is sort of a joke. What is wrong with this picture? Everybody is losing money...Tyson, the workers, the cattle producers!
Personally I think they should outlaw strikes PERIOD! Have binding arbritration and you either take the deal or pack it in! Sure would put an end to all these games?

[PureCountry]

On the way into work I was hearing on the radio that Lakeside is shut down again this morning. They said the CFIA inspectors were not crossing the picket lines. Safety concerns I guess.

What a world we live in.

I hadn't heard anything about prices coming down as yet, but who knows? I've been too busy this week to talk to anyone who'd know.

[Cattleman]

Are you talking fat cattle cowman? I have not noticed much change in calf prices lately. I would almost say slightly stronger than 2 - 3 weeks ago.

[rkaiser]

Lakeside losing money cowman.

I would have to say this is one of many battles the war chest will be spent on. Break the union. Pump out cheap trim to make the small players pay. Buy cattle high, if and when the time is right..........and so on and so on and so on. The road to even more power for the multinational packers has been paved for years by the effects of BSEconomics.

[Rodjam]

I was down to Walla Walla Wa. 2 weeks ago and between the border and Pasco I saw more then 25 liners with Canadian plates all heading south. I am sure Lakeside had something to do with it. Sure seems like a long ways to haul cattle and still make a profit.

[PureCountry]

Back to calf prices, the Friday Satellite Sale at VJV was nuts. Heavier calves in Killam were off a little on Thursday, but that satellite sale was hot on everything. 600lb steers brought as high as $1.40.

Had a guy inquiring about my calves. I told him the top end would average 400lbs right now, and he just said he wants a call in January when we wean. Then he said the top heifers would have to be in the package - end of conversation.

[PureCountry]

Since Killam is my 'local' mart, I'd better add that everything below 600lbs was still selling hot. It was just the heavier calves that slid back abit. They had 1400 head.

[Horse]

Cowman you should be ashamed to sugest that strikes be outlawed what ever hapened to your stance that everyone do what they want ,
If I want ot stand in front of lakeside and not work it should be my busines , boy all we need is to make anybody that needs a job work where ever someone thinks we need people , I think we all need shares in lakeside if that is the case.

[cowman]

In reality Horse nobody wins in a strike? It is just a darned inefficient way of handling the problem?
How come the government can declare their workers "essential" and outlaw strikes, but they can't say " The packing industry is essential so no strike"?
Have real fair and binding arbitration and let the chips fall where they may? If a company like Lakeside feels they can't operate within that process then they can pack it in? If the workers can't accept arbitration then they can quit and get another job? It's all about fair and just labor laws?
How come its not alright for nurses and doctors to go on strike but it is okay to shut down a whole industry because some cheapskate company wants to gain an edge on the competition on the backs of their workers? Do you think it is fair that one small part of the industry can foul up the rest of the industry...when it could be handled differently and with better results?
What kind of hellhole do you think Lakeside will be like after this strike? Do you think they will all be happy campers there? It just isn't necessary in this day and age to put up with this silly way of settling labor disputes?

[rkaiser]

Please correct me if I am wrong, but did Ralph not go the arbitration route and have the union accept while Tyson said NO.

[cowman]

Yea thats right Randy, he did. Obviously it should have worked but I believe Tyson had a different agenda all along...and it was to get rid of the union?
What if they had no other option than to accept binding arbritation? Other provinces have labor laws like that I believe? How long would it have taken to get back to business if they had to accept the findings or shut the plant down? Nobody shuts down a plant over 30 cents an hour(industry standard)! Pack their bags and head south and leave all of Canada to Cargill...I don't think so!

[cowman]

Took in the presort sale at Innisfail yesterday for a couple of hours and it seemed calf prices were actually on the way up! Saw a good pen of tan calves(700 lbs.) sell for $1.3125!
Even some of the lighter calves were selling well. A pen of 93 buckskin calves(593 lb) sold for over $1.42!
I believe they had over 4000 head in this sale.

[cowman]

a pen of 400 pound black limo cross steer calves sold at Strathmore last week for $1.50, the week before a pen of 400 black limo cross calves brought $1.72 at Perlich, so they don't all have to be TAN to get a good price cowman !!!!

[bird]

I may be wrong but I get paid by weight x dollars!!! Not color.
700lbs x 1.3125 = 918.75
400lbs x 1.50 = 600.00

I don't think I will change to those little black calves!!

[bird]

bird those little calves were born in early May !
Not all black calves are 400 pounds. My heifer calves averaged 620 and they were born in March/April.