Alberta NDP call for public inquiry into Olymel plant outbreak
Posted Mar 4, 2021 1:12 pm.
Last Updated Mar 4, 2021 1:14 pm.
RED DEER – Alberta’s NDP is calling for an immediate public inquiry into the COVID-19 outbreak at the Olymel pork processing plant in Red Deer.
It also wants Thursday’s planned reopening of the plant put on hold.
The plant was shut down in mid-February, after an outbreak that has caused three deaths and infected over 500 employees.
The company has received a green light to start a gradual reopening but NDP leader Rachel Notley said both Olymel and the Alberta government failed in their response to the health crisis, and there should be a full-scale inquiry into how it was handled.
She said the Olymel outbreak is now the deadliest at an Alberta meat packing plant during the pandemic.
Notley is also seeking a commitment from the justice minister that he will not intervene with legislation to protect potentially negligent corporations from lawsuits launched by victims’ families.
Meanwhile, Thomas Hesse, president of UFCW 401, which represents the workers, said it is going to take time before employees have trust in the company.
“Employees have lost their confidence because of what has happened. Government officials and Olymel have not spoken to the workers.”
Hesse pointed out that a survey done by the union showed more than 80 per cent of staff at the Olymel plant are unsure if it’s safe.
