Maple Lodge Farms employee dies from COVID-19

A Maple Lodge Farms employee at the Brampton plant has died due to COVID-19.

“On behalf of the members and staff at the Union, I offer my sincere condolences to the family of the member who passed away,” Shawn Haggerty, president of United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 175–the union that represents Maple Lodge Farms employees in Brampton, said in a news release.

“Our thoughts are with the family at this difficult time, as well as with the other members at the plant who are also dealing with their own COVID-19 diagnoses,” he continued.

Currently, 25 Maple Lodge workers in Brampton have contracted the virus since the pandemic started.

In order to prevent the spread of the virus, Maple Lodge Farms has implemented additional safety measures to ensure employees have a safe workspace, including implementing the use of appropriate personal protective equipment, staggering breaks and shifts to maintain physical distancing, enhanced cleaning for all areas of the plant, and provisions for members to travel to and from the plant in a secure fashion.

Haggerty acknowledged that while UFCW employees are providing an essential service by ensuring Canadians have enough food to eat, they shouldn’t have to sacrifice their health and well-being to do so.

“The Union is committed to ensuring that they are able to do that work in an environment that is as safe as possible and will take any reasonable action to protect them. Maintaining the food supply chain is important but it shouldn’t come at the cost of workers’ health,” Haggerty said.

Cover photo courtesy of Maple Lodge Farms’ Instagram