Latest news with #MapleLeafFoods
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Why Canada needs a law that gives workers the right to govern their workplace
A major fault line in contemporary society is that while our political lives are governed by democratic principles, our economic lives largely are not. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Maple Leaf Foods experienced an outbreak in its Brandon, Man. factory. Not only were workers ordered to keep working in unsafe conditions, they were forced to work overtime. Walmart has long been accused of forbidding its cashiers from sitting down, even during long shifts. At one of its warehouses in Pennsylvania, Amazon allowed the temperature to reach an unbearable 102 F in 2011. When employees pleaded to open the loading doors to let in fresh air, management refused, claiming this would lead to employee theft. Instead, Amazon parked ambulances outside and waited for employees to collapse from heat stroke. Employees who were sent home because of the heat were given demerits for missing work, and fired if they accumulated too many. These examples reflect the fact that, in most workplaces, employees have no say in who manages them or how major decisions are made. Entering the workplace typically means leaving the freedoms of democratic society behind and entering a private domain unilaterally controlled by an employer. For most workers who are not in senior management, the main job of every job is to follow orders. Functionally speaking, workers are servants. In its governance structure, the modern workplace operates as a kind of mini dictatorship. Although workplace discipline isn't enforced with physical violence, supervisors still have the power to discipline or punish those who dissent. But what if there were an actual legal right to workplace democracy? My research scrutinized the pros and cons of such novel legislation by drawing on decades of research comparing conventional, top-down firms with democratic worker co-operatives (where workers collectively own the firm and elect the governing board). In large American firms, the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio is now a jaw-dropping 351 to one. As CEO, Jeff Bezos made roughly 360,000 times more than Amazon's minimum wage workers. This inequality ripples across society with significant consequences. By contrast, most worker co-ops maintain a pay ratio of three to one and only very rarely exceed 10 to one. There's also a stark difference in how workers are treated. While conventional firms lay off workers whenever it's profitable to do so, co-ops do everything in their power to save jobs. Top-down decision-making also breeds degradation and disrespect. A 2016 Oxfam report, for instance, documented how some Tyson Foods employees were prevented from using the bathroom to the point where some urinated themselves and other felt compelled to wear diapers to work. A Gallup survey from 2021 found that across the American economy as a whole, only 20 per cent of workers strongly agreed with the statement that 'my opinions seem to count.' In co-ops, workers are generally treated with more respect and dignity. They typically participate more in decision-making, have higher job satisfaction and have less antagonism with management. In conventional workplaces, many employees hate or fear their boss. Roughly 17 per cent of the workforce opt for self-employment in order to get away from the tyranny of the boss, even though self-employed workers typically earn about 15 per cent less than their salaried counterparts and receive less than half the benefits. Worker co-operatives are typically less dominating than conventional firms because workers elect their managers and can create self-managing teams where workers have more autonomy over matters like scheduling and how tasks are carried out. Though co-ops are far from perfect, with workers often feeling that they aren't able to participate in decision-making as much as they would like. Most workers have no viable alternative to undemocratic work, and so no choice but to suffer its harms. While in theory, workers can quit and rely on welfare or social assistance, in practice, this isn't viable because welfare rates are often too low to live on. Starting a business or becoming self-employed is another theoretical option, but it's too financially risky to be a serious alternative for most. Joining a worker co-operative is the most promising alternative, but there were less than 400 worker co-ops in Canada in 2022, representing less than one per cent of employment. Converting an existing workplace into a co-op faces serious barriers too. Even if the workers desperately want a conversion, if the employer doesn't, they're out of luck; their employer owns the organization and can simply say no. Canada needs a new law to expand democracy by granting workers the legal right to collectively buy into the firms they work for. The process would resemble how unionization works today. It would start after a majority of employees sign a declaration stating their intent to form a worker co-operative. After this threshold is reached, a formal process would be triggered: employers would be required to disclose all relevant financial documents with the workers, and workers would receive education on the managerial, technical and legal requirements of co-ops. Co-op development bankers would provide loans and financing options. Once this is done, workers would hold a final vote. If a simple majority (50 per cent plus one) votes in favour, the employer would be paid the fair market value for the firm and the business would be restructured as a worker co-operative. Importantly, the law would allow this transition even if the employer is opposed, just as collective bargaining legislation allows workers to unionize without employer approval. It would also ensure owners are fairly compensated; owners shouldn't lose their property, but they should lose the right to unilaterally govern other human beings in perpetuity, especially when those others are willing and ready to govern themselves. Of course, this law might bring some economic disruption. It's possible that certain owners might oppose democratic ownership so strongly that they would rather shut down the business altogether than work as equals, but such cases would likely be rare. On the other hand, research shows that worker co-ops are just as productive as conventional firms (if not more so) and they have similar survival rates. This is highly reassuring for the overall well-being of the economy. Moreover, workers would need to invest significant amounts of their own money in order to buy out the firm, so conversions will occur only after serious consideration. The bottom line is that while the costs of this legislation would likely be modest, the benefits to workers and society at large would be substantial: reduced inequality and domination, increased job security and respect. Canada should establish a right to buy-in as soon as possible. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organisation bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Tom Malleson, Western University Read more: Canada's small businesses could be saved by converting them to co-operatives The key to a vibrant democracy may well lie in your workplace New budget offers Canada a chance to get employee ownership right Tom Malleson has received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.
Cision Canada
3 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Maple Leaf Foods Releases 2024 Integrated Report Highlighting Sustainability and Strategic Achievements Français
Purpose-driven consumer packaged goods protein company continues unwavering commitment to sustainability, shared value, and strategic growth MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 5, 2025 /CNW/ - (TSX: MFI) Maple Leaf Foods ("the Company") released today its annual Integrated Report, bringing together an update on its 2024 financial performance and future outlook, as well as a holistic view of the Company's key initiatives, emphasizing its continued commitment to sustainability, shared value, and strategic growth. "2024 was a year of meaningful financial and strategic progress for Maple Leaf Foods," said Curtis Frank, President and Chief Executive Officer, Maple Leaf Foods. "Fueled by the strength of our leading brands, the resilience of our growth strategies and the financial benefits flowing from our large-scale capital investments, we exited the year with strong momentum on our journey to transform Maple Leaf Foods into a purpose driven, protein-focused, brand-led, consumer packaged goods powerhouse." "We also refreshed our Strategic Blueprint and evolved the strategies that will guide us toward achieving our Vision, to be the most sustainable protein company on Earth," Frank added. "I am incredibly proud of the strides we've made and our many remarkable achievements which are helping us create shared value for our stakeholders." Company Commitments The report highlights Maple Leaf Foods' leadership in sustainability, animal care, food and people safety, and its contributions to essential efforts to reduce food insecurity. The Company tracks progress against its goals based on key pillars: Making Better Food, Taking Care of Our People, Communities, and Animals, and Nurturing a Better Planet. Key Highlights: Making Better Food: Maple Leaf Foods continues to lead the market with high-quality, innovative products. Its flagship brands Schneiders ® and Maple Leaf ® achieved the #1 and #2 lead in Packaged Meats in Canada, while Mina ® earned the top spot as the #1 Halal brand in fresh poultry in Canada, and Greenfield Natural Meat Co. ® the #1 brand in Sustainable Packaged Meats in Canada. In 2024, the Company launched 50 new products across its brands, including Schneiders Breakfast Sandwiches and Schneiders Breakfast Bites. The new Schneiders ® breakfast products are part of Maple Leaf Foods' broader innovation strategy as a consumer-packaged goods-driven business to create new, sustainably produced products that meet the evolving needs and preferences of consumers. Taking Better Care for Our People: Maple Leaf Foods completed 11 social compliance audits in 2024, and took the next steps in advancing its enhanced social compliance program. The Company also successfully maintained a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.37, which is a 94% improvement since 2012. Taking Better Care for Our Communities: The Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security ("the Centre") has committed $13.3 million to 40 initiatives over the last eight years, addressing food insecurity across Canada. In 2024, Maple Leaf Foods donated $4 million in food products in Canada and the United States. Team Members across the Company volunteered in more than 33 communities, supporting local food banks, healthcare institutions, community centres, and newcomer services. Taking Better Care of Our Animals: Maple Leaf Foods provided 100% of its owned sow spaces with open sow housing according to the NFACC Code of Practice and Canadian Pork Excellence PigCARE standards. The Company implemented environmental enrichment for pigs and broiler chickens and invested in humane processing technologies, converting 99.9% of its chicken plants to Controlled Atmosphere Stunning. Taking Better Care of Our Planet: By the end of 2024, Maple Leaf Foods achieved a 5.1% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 15.6% reduction in Scope 3 emissions intensity since the 2018 base year. The Company expanded its regenerative agriculture efforts, collaborating with Nutrien for the fourth consecutive year, scaling from 19,000 to over 250,000 acres, to support growers and boost sustainability. It also supported the Lake Winnipeg Basin Water Stewardship Project, engaging 30,000 acres across four farms to implement water stewardship practices on farms. Additionally, the Company achieved a 94.1% company-wide landfill diversion rate, with three facilities reaching 100% landfill diversion. For more information and to view the full 2024 Integrated Report, please visit: Forward–Looking Statements This document contains, and the Company's oral and written public communications often contain, "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, projections, beliefs, judgements and assumptions based on information available at the time the applicable forward-looking statement was made and in light of the Company's experience combined with its perception of historical trends. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. For the full statement around forward-looking information, please refer to the 2024 Annual Report to Shareholders. About Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Maple Leaf Foods is a leading protein company responsibly producing food products under leading brands including Maple Leaf ®, Maple Leaf Prime ®, Maple Leaf Natural Selections ®, Schneiders ®, Mina ®, Greenfield Natural Meat Co. ®, LightLife ® and Field Roast ™. The Company employs approximately 13,500 people and does business primarily in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI).
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Maple Leaf Foods Releases 2024 Integrated Report Highlighting Sustainability and Strategic Achievements
Purpose-driven consumer packaged goods protein company continues unwavering commitment to sustainability, shared value, and strategic growth MISSISSAUGA, ON, June 5, 2025 /CNW/ - (TSX: MFI) Maple Leaf Foods ("the Company") released today its annual Integrated Report, bringing together an update on its 2024 financial performance and future outlook, as well as a holistic view of the Company's key initiatives, emphasizing its continued commitment to sustainability, shared value, and strategic growth. "2024 was a year of meaningful financial and strategic progress for Maple Leaf Foods," said Curtis Frank, President and Chief Executive Officer, Maple Leaf Foods. "Fueled by the strength of our leading brands, the resilience of our growth strategies and the financial benefits flowing from our large-scale capital investments, we exited the year with strong momentum on our journey to transform Maple Leaf Foods into a purpose driven, protein-focused, brand-led, consumer packaged goods powerhouse." "We also refreshed our Strategic Blueprint and evolved the strategies that will guide us toward achieving our Vision, to be the most sustainable protein company on Earth," Frank added. "I am incredibly proud of the strides we've made and our many remarkable achievements which are helping us create shared value for our stakeholders." Company Commitments The report highlights Maple Leaf Foods' leadership in sustainability, animal care, food and people safety, and its contributions to essential efforts to reduce food insecurity. The Company tracks progress against its goals based on key pillars: Making Better Food, Taking Care of Our People, Communities, and Animals, and Nurturing a Better Planet. Key Highlights: Making Better Food: Maple Leaf Foods continues to lead the market with high-quality, innovative products. Its flagship brands Schneiders® and Maple Leaf® achieved the #1 and #2 lead in Packaged Meats in Canada, while Mina® earned the top spot as the #1 Halal brand in fresh poultry in Canada, and Greenfield Natural Meat Co.® the #1 brand in Sustainable Packaged Meats in Canada. In 2024, the Company launched 50 new products across its brands, including Schneiders Breakfast Sandwiches and Schneiders Breakfast Bites. The new Schneiders® breakfast products are part of Maple Leaf Foods' broader innovation strategy as a consumer-packaged goods-driven business to create new, sustainably produced products that meet the evolving needs and preferences of consumers. Taking Better Care for Our People: Maple Leaf Foods completed 11 social compliance audits in 2024, and took the next steps in advancing its enhanced social compliance program. The Company also successfully maintained a Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) of 0.37, which is a 94% improvement since 2012. Taking Better Care for Our Communities: The Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security ("the Centre") has committed $13.3 million to 40 initiatives over the last eight years, addressing food insecurity across Canada. In 2024, Maple Leaf Foods donated $4 million in food products in Canada and the United States. Team Members across the Company volunteered in more than 33 communities, supporting local food banks, healthcare institutions, community centres, and newcomer services. Taking Better Care of Our Animals: Maple Leaf Foods provided 100% of its owned sow spaces with open sow housing according to the NFACC Code of Practice and Canadian Pork Excellence PigCARE standards. The Company implemented environmental enrichment for pigs and broiler chickens and invested in humane processing technologies, converting 99.9% of its chicken plants to Controlled Atmosphere Stunning. Taking Better Care of Our Planet: By the end of 2024, Maple Leaf Foods achieved a 5.1% reduction in absolute Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 15.6% reduction in Scope 3 emissions intensity since the 2018 base year. The Company expanded its regenerative agriculture efforts, collaborating with Nutrien for the fourth consecutive year, scaling from 19,000 to over 250,000 acres, to support growers and boost sustainability. It also supported the Lake Winnipeg Basin Water Stewardship Project, engaging 30,000 acres across four farms to implement water stewardship practices on farms. Additionally, the Company achieved a 94.1% company-wide landfill diversion rate, with three facilities reaching 100% landfill diversion. For more information and to view the full 2024 Integrated Report, please visit: Forward–Looking Statements This document contains, and the Company's oral and written public communications often contain, "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. These statements are based on current expectations, estimates, projections, beliefs, judgements and assumptions based on information available at the time the applicable forward-looking statement was made and in light of the Company's experience combined with its perception of historical trends. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. For the full statement around forward-looking information, please refer to the 2024 Annual Report to Shareholders. About Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Maple Leaf Foods is a leading protein company responsibly producing food products under leading brands including Maple Leaf®, Maple Leaf Prime®, Maple Leaf Natural Selections®, Schneiders®, Mina®, Greenfield Natural Meat Co.®, LightLife® and Field Roast™. The Company employs approximately 13,500 people and does business primarily in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI). View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc. View original content to download multimedia: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Canada Standard
3 days ago
- Politics
- Canada Standard
Why Canada needs a law that gives workers the right to govern their workplace
A major fault line in contemporary society is that while our political lives are governed by democratic principles, our economic lives largely are not. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, Maple Leaf Foods experienced an outbreak in its Brandon, Man. factory. Not only were workers ordered to keep working in unsafe conditions, they were forced to work overtime. Walmart has long been accused of forbidding its cashiers from sitting down, even during long shifts. At one of its warehouses in Pennsylvania, Amazon allowed the temperature to reach an unbearable 102 F in 2011. When employees pleaded to open the loading doors to let in fresh air, management refused, claiming this would lead to employee theft. Instead, Amazon parked ambulances outside and waited for employees to collapse from heat stroke. Employees who were sent home because of the heat were given demerits for missing work, and fired if they accumulated too many. These examples reflect the fact that, in most workplaces, employees have no say in who manages them or how major decisions are made. Entering the workplace typically means leaving the freedoms of democratic society behind and entering a private domain unilaterally controlled by an employer. For most workers who are not in senior management, the main job of every job is to follow orders. Functionally speaking, workers are servants. In its governance structure, the modern workplace operates as a kind of mini dictatorship. Although workplace discipline isn't enforced with physical violence, supervisors still have the power to discipline or punish those who dissent. But what if there were an actual legal right to workplace democracy? My research scrutinized the pros and cons of such novel legislation by drawing on decades of research comparing conventional, top-down firms with democratic worker co-operatives (where workers collectively own the firm and elect the governing board). In large American firms, the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio is now a jaw-dropping 351 to one. As CEO, Jeff Bezos made roughly 360,000 times more than Amazon's minimum wage workers. This inequality ripples across society with significant consequences. By contrast, most worker co-ops maintain a pay ratio of three to one and only very rarely exceed 10 to one. There's also a stark difference in how workers are treated. While conventional firms lay off workers whenever it's profitable to do so, co-ops do everything in their power to save jobs. Top-down decision-making also breeds degradation and disrespect. A 2016 Oxfam report, for instance, documented how some Tyson Foods employees were prevented from using the bathroom to the point where some urinated themselves and other felt compelled to wear diapers to work. A Gallup survey from 2021 found that across the American economy as a whole, only 20 per cent of workers strongly agreed with the statement that "my opinions seem to count." In co-ops, workers are generally treated with more respect and dignity. They typically participate more in decision-making, have higher job satisfaction and have less antagonism with management. In conventional workplaces, many employees hate or fear their boss. Roughly 17 per cent of the workforce opt for self-employment in order to get away from the tyranny of the boss, even though self-employed workers typically earn about 15 per cent less than their salaried counterparts and receive less than half the benefits. Worker co-operatives are typically less dominating than conventional firms because workers elect their managers and can create self-managing teams where workers have more autonomy over matters like scheduling and how tasks are carried out. Though co-ops are far from perfect, with workers often feeling that they aren't able to participate in decision-making as much as they would like. Most workers have no viable alternative to undemocratic work, and so no choice but to suffer its harms. While in theory, workers can quit and rely on welfare or social assistance, in practice, this isn't viable because welfare rates are often too low to live on. Starting a business or becoming self-employed is another theoretical option, but it's too financially risky to be a serious alternative for most. Joining a worker co-operative is the most promising alternative, but there were less than 400 worker co-ops in Canada in 2022, representing less than one per cent of employment. Converting an existing workplace into a co-op faces serious barriers too. Even if the workers desperately want a conversion, if the employer doesn't, they're out of luck; their employer owns the organization and can simply say no. Canada needs a new law to expand democracy by granting workers the legal right to collectively buy into the firms they work for. The process would resemble how unionization works today. It would start after a majority of employees sign a declaration stating their intent to form a worker co-operative. After this threshold is reached, a formal process would be triggered: employers would be required to disclose all relevant financial documents with the workers, and workers would receive education on the managerial, technical and legal requirements of co-ops. Co-op development bankers would provide loans and financing options. Once this is done, workers would hold a final vote. If a simple majority (50 per cent plus one) votes in favour, the employer would be paid the fair market value for the firm and the business would be restructured as a worker co-operative. Importantly, the law would allow this transition even if the employer is opposed, just as collective bargaining legislation allows workers to unionize without employer approval. It would also ensure owners are fairly compensated; owners shouldn't lose their property, but they should lose the right to unilaterally govern other human beings in perpetuity, especially when those others are willing and ready to govern themselves. Of course, this law might bring some economic disruption. It's possible that certain owners might oppose democratic ownership so strongly that they would rather shut down the business altogether than work as equals, but such cases would likely be rare. On the other hand, research shows that worker co-ops are just as productive as conventional firms (if not more so) and they have similar survival rates. This is highly reassuring for the overall well-being of the economy. Moreover, workers would need to invest significant amounts of their own money in order to buy out the firm, so conversions will occur only after serious consideration. The bottom line is that while the costs of this legislation would likely be modest, the benefits to workers and society at large would be substantial: reduced inequality and domination, increased job security and respect. Canada should establish a right to buy-in as soon as possible.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Maple Leaf Foods Reaffirms Board Diversity Commitment
TSX: MISSISSAUGA, ON, May 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Maple Leaf Foods Inc. ("Maple Leaf Foods" or the "Company") (TSX: MFI) today re-affirmed its commitment to promoting diversity on its Board of Directors. Consistent with the Company's Board Diversity Policy, Maple Leaf Foods has historically maintained at least 30% women on its Board of Directors. While representation of women on the Board has temporarily dropped to 27%, the Company is fully committed to adding another woman director at or prior to its 2026 annual meeting of shareholders. A copy of the Company's Board Diversity Policy specifying a commitment to maintain at least 30% representation from each gender is available here. About Maple Leaf Foods Maple Leaf Foods is a leading protein company responsibly producing food products under leading brands including Maple Leaf®, Maple Leaf Prime®, Maple Leaf Natural Selections®, Schneiders®, Mina®, Greenfield Natural Meat Co.®, LightLife® and Field Roast™. The Company employs approximately 13,500 people and does business primarily in Canada, the U.S. and Asia. The Company is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario and its shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MFI). Forward-Looking Statements This document may contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. These statements are not guarantees of future events and involve assumptions and risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Specific forward-looking information in this document includes information related to the future composition of the Board of Directors. These statements are based on and were developed using a number of assumptions including, but not limited to assumptions related to the ability of the Company to attract and retain an additional woman director. Readers are cautioned that these assumptions may prove to be incorrect in whole or in part and actual results may differ from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included herein speak only as of the date hereof. Unless required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. All forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Maple Leaf Foods Inc. Sign in to access your portfolio
