Thursday, November 26, 1998.

Ontario pork industry leaders are troubled by news today that workers at Quality Meat Packers Limited, one of Ontario's two major pork processors, voted by a margin of more than 70 per cent to give their union a strike mandate. Negotiations between labour and management have been underway for months.

If workers eventually follow through with a strike it could worsen already devastating producer losses. Furthermore the situation may also pose serious animal welfare problems if the province's already-taxed slaughter capacity is further eroded.

During the past few weeks Quebec producers succeeded in turning away previously contracted Ontario pigs. In late November American pork producers issued a press release announcing plans to lobby US packers and president Clinton to halt an estimated 60,000 Canadian live hogs shipped weekly to the US.

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Wednesday, November 25, 1998.

At its December 1, 1998 demonstration at Queens Park, Ontario Pork won't be turning pigs loose on the road as Quebec producers' did in their recent showdown with the Quebec government. Instead the pork board will feature Perth county's larger-than- life model pig, familiar to Pork Congress visitors.

However some livestock truckers may show up with pigs on board.

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For several days many Ontario producers have been sickened by rumours of pigs left to die in a Shakespeare area barn. Today newspapers across Canada have been running a Canadian Press story which says the producer stopped feeding the animals because he was losing money.

Producers who are unable to provide proper care for their animals should call the Ontario Farm Animal Council hotline for immediate assistance.

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Tuesday, November 25, 1998

A group of eastern Ontario pork producers met today at Alexandria in Glengarry county, about 40 kilometres from Cornwall. They forwarded a resolution to Ontario Pork calling for a provincial stabilization program similar to the one in Quebec.

The resolution reportedly received a cool reception from pork board directors. The board, however, is still considering a second resolution from the eastern group, which calls for advance payments to producers of any sums due under a proposed federal disaster relief program.

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On December 6, 1998 US farmers plan to blockade all major ports in Montana and North Dakota. The blockade will extend from Minnesota to Washington State to protest "the unfair trade of grain and livestock from Canada."

The move is certain to disrupt hog kills in Western Canada, where each week tens of thousands of pigs are shipped south.

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Thursday, November 19, 1998

Weeks after the letters went out to key industry participants, the Canadian Bankers Association remains the only group which has failed to respond to Canadaian Pork Council efforts to discuss the current pork industry crisis, according to CPC general manager Martin Rice. Rice says discussions with Farm Credit Corporation were "excellent."

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Monday, November 16, 1998

"A lot of people would like to hang themselves but they can't get credit for the rope," is how Mount Elgin farrow to finish operator Eric VanBoekel describes the pork price meltdown. However, while some financially troubled producers now want board powers strengthened to deal with the current crisis, VanBoekel says the situation hasn't changed his mind about the need to eliminate the pork board's monopoly powers.

Ontario Pork sued VanBoekel and three other producers for bypassing the board. He and two others appealed a judgement won by the board in Ontario Court (General Division). He and two other defendants appealed the decision and then last summer before their appeal was heard, settled by paying an undisclosed amount.

VanBoekel says he continues to sell his production to US packers.

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