Maple Leaf offers to hire Syrian refugees at plants
January 8, 2016
By Manufacturing AUTOMATION
Jan. 8, 2016 – Maple Leaf Foods says it is offering to hire Syrian refugees to fill jobs at two of its meat plants.
The Canadian food processing company, like others in Canada’s meat sector, says it is dealing with a chronic shortage of employees that has been exacerbated by restrictions placed on the temporary foreign worker program.
Rory McAlpine, a Maple Leaf senior vice president, says the company could hire 25 refugees at its pork plant in Brandon, Man., and 10 at its smaller operation in Lethbridge, Alta. It says it is “looking for fit people with manufacturing experience who could be trained as general production workers and meat cutters.”
“We would be very pleased and honoured to be part of the solution in terms of helping find employment for the Syrian refugees,” he said. “We have jobs available.”
Known for its various brands including Maple Leaf Prime, Maple Leaf Natural Selections, Schneiders and Mina, the company employs about 12,000 people in its operations across Canada and exports to more than 20 global markets including the U.S. and Asia.
— With files from John Cotter, The Canadian Press
