Union asking for two-week closure of Red Deer Olymel plant

RED DEER, Alta. – A company that operates a pork processing plant in central Alberta says a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility has grown to nearly 80 cases this weekend.

Richard Vigneault, a spokesman for Olymel, says there was an outbreak at the company’s plant in Red Deer in November, but it wasn’t until Jan. 20 that there was a significant rise in infections.

Vigneault says one person has died and employees were informed of the death on Jan. 28, but he says the company is still waiting on a report on the case and he won’t be commenting further on it now.

The union representing the 1,850 workers at the plant wrote a letter Friday to the facility’s manager, requesting Olymel temporarily shut down the plant for two weeks and pay workers during the time off.