Bitter Juice at Sun-Rype?
After strike, Pattison's plant is like 'prison' says unionist.
Jimmy Pattison: largest stock holder.
A tough strike at Kelowna's Sun-Rype juice plant is over but deep scars remain, say current and former workers. Some claim the company is taking reprisals against union leaders.
Sun-Rype management would not comment on the mood at the plant, which recently came under the control of B.C. billionaire Jimmy Pattison after a year when profits slumped. But one Teamsters official likened the atmosphere to "a prison."
Tense line
For 16 weeks this winter Teamsters at the Sun-Rype fruit products plant walked a picket line in freezing Interior weather. The dispute was bitter, marked by scuffles and close brushes with injury as non-union drivers of semi-trailers careened through the picket line. Security guards tore down tarps erected to give striking workers cold weather shelter.
The workers at the 62-year-old fruit juice and products plant, originally a growers' co-op and, since 1996, a publicly traded company, voted on Feb. 23 by a 77 per cent margin to accept a contract hammered out with the help of Vancouver-based private mediator John Sanderson. The new four-year contract, retroactive to August 2006, called for a 12 per cent raise in wages over its term.
Now, returned workers, and some who refused to return after the settlement, claim that the labour relations atmosphere at Sun-Rype has become poisonous, with managers harassing and intimidating union stewards and other activists.
'Harassment' alleged
"It's just nasty all the way at Sun-Rype," said former employee and job steward Charles Parkhurst. "I went back to work but they forced me out with their intimidation and harassment. One of my friends didn't even bother to go back. He told me 'I'm not going back for a fricking heart attack.'"
Parkhurst claimed that he and other job stewards were intrusively watched and followed by foremen during their shifts. He said low seniority workers weren't getting full weeks of work, and as result at least one has to supplement his income with trips to a food bank.
"One woman I know has only got five shifts since the new contract was signed. Five shifts a month isn't 'back to work,'" he said.
David McIntosh, a 27-year veteran at Sun-Rype, also decided not to return to the juice plant after the February settlement.
"I'm glad I quit," he told The Tyee. "From what I hear from guys who went back, they are treating people really badly."
"If we knew then what we know now, we probably wouldn't have settled," said Teamster local 213 business agent Gene Wirch. "Members tell me that working at Sun-Rype now is like being in prison."
Communications complaints
Wirch told The Tyee in a recent phone interview that Sun-Rype president and CEO Eric Sorenson and other management figures at the firm have been unresponsive to requests for information since the strike.
"We've been put on 'ignore' status when we ask questions like how many workers have returned to work and what happened to the jobs of the people who worked on the re-packaging line that disappeared from the plant during the strike. There is just no communication, the list of grievances keeps getting longer, and things get worse every day," he said.
The machinery for the re-packaging line was reportedly moved out of the plant during the strike, eliminating up to 30 jobs.
The Tyee called Eric Sorensen's office at Sun-Rype to ask for comments on these claims. His office staff refused to put through the call, referring the reporter to media spokeswoman Barb Grant. Repeated calls to Grant over two business days were not returned.
Profits down
Reports in the business press since the strike settlement in Kelowna have focused on Sun-Rype's diminished profits in 2007 and on a massive stock acquisition by Vancouver billionaire Jimmy Pattison that brought his already substantial holdings in the firm up to just under 49 per cent, more than enough to constitute effective control.
On March 20, the Canadian Press reported that Pattison's Great Pacific Capital Corp. had raised its stake in Sun-Rype by 1.5 million shares, bringing his total holdings in Sun-Rype through Great Pacific up to 5.3 million shares. Shortly before this purchase, on March 7, according to Business Edge, an online news service, Sun-Rype reported that its 2007 profits had suffered a 36 per cent decline against 2006. The juice company still racked up a respectable $4.6 million in 2007, but significantly less than the $7.3 million earned the year before.
The Tyee contacted Pattison's Vancouver offices to ask for comment for this story. His aide Maureen Chant said Pattison was travelling and could not be reached. Even if reached, she went on to say, he would be unlikely to speak to The Tyee. "We don't comment on our investments."
Related Tyee stories:
- Jimmy Pattison the Juice behind Kelowna Strike?
Sun-Rype picketers wonder who's really squeezing them. - What Happened to Labour Rights?
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China's abuses 'a warning bell' for 2010.
![[Tyee]](http://thetyee.cachefly.net/ui/img/ico_fishie.png){kind=small}
Fogotwillingate
06-05-2008
Corporate State
Anyone who reads WCAT appeals, can clearly see that employers are winning 100% of complaint cases on appeal. Further, where an original complaint goes before a Board tribunal, the complainant does NOT receive counsel or public representation. In contrast, an employer is represented by a government appointed rep. The companies know that union power has been nearly killed by harsh government. The Liberals would abolish unions, if they had the power.
Jeffrey J.
07-05-2008
Excellent journalism
Every time I turn around I read reference to a Tyee story or journalist. THIS is the sign of true journalism. Well done. These are the kinds of stories Canadians used to read about, helping them consider issues, form policy opinions and in the end, vote for democratic representation. Keep up the great work.
Curt
07-05-2008
Pattison Companies
I'm not surprised. Look what this group (Pattison's) did to Save On, Overwaitea, Pricesmart and still trying to cut back even more with 2 hour shifts. I can imagine what he's going to try and do with the mills he has now got involved with. Dumb them all down too?
And as long as this government is in power, look out to every working person out there, young, old, liberal supporter or not!
southdeltawalker
07-05-2008
why that photo?
I think we could do without the photo of Pattisons smug face.
A more representative photo would be one of the workers walking the picket line in the cold, the security guards tearing down the workers shelter or trucks "running" the picket lines.
Or how about a photo the Kelowna food bank-the newest resource for Sun-Rype employees?
Luke Skywalker
07-05-2008
Frank...
I see nothing in his background that would suggest otherwise.
I was attempting to be facetious... 'cause Sun-Rype is a publicly traded company on the TSX and Pattison, as a shareholder, like many others, wouldn't have had anything to do with either the strike or contract negotiations.
The tentative collective agreement was ratified by the local Teamsters on Feb. 23. and on March 20, Pattison's nominee company purchased additional shares at around $11.50. The shares have traded between $10 and $14 in the past 52 weeks.
This strike was bitter, for whatever reason, but bringing Pattison into this picture is akin to bringing in union pension funds (as shareholders) into the picture when the IWA/USW goes on strike against the forest companies.
Plain silly.
Frank
07-05-2008
Luke
This strike was bitter, for whatever reason, but bringing Pattison into this picture is akin to bringing in union pension funds (as shareholders) into the picture when the IWA/USW goes on strike against the forest companies.
You're spinning. The article is not about the strike, its about the workplace AFTER the strike. Pattison has effective control of the company during this period.
Luke Skywalker
07-05-2008
Frank...
After a bitter labour dispute such as this one, hard feelings can still prevail. It's human nature.
Yep, after the strike Pattison's company owns 49% of the publicly-traded shares of Sun-Rype.
What will that allow him to do?
Along with another shareholder's 1.1% of company shares, they can effectively change the company's board of directors (and obviously) management at the next annual meeting of shareholders if they so wish.
Frank
07-05-2008
Luke
Whatever he wants, as the article makes clear.
Management is not "reaching out". They're getting their marching order from somebody. methinks it would be the guy with effective control of the company. Do you think it would be someone that doesn't have effective control or that the management at the facility are just "winging it"?
Luke Skywalker
07-05-2008
Frank...
You are right in that respect and management's behaviour is certainly suspect.
Heck, only a positive work environment will lead to a productive work force.
The work force can't be productive under those conditions, which obviously affects the bottom line/ share price and is certainly NOT in Pattison's best interest.
From a previous Tyee story:
On Dec. 5, RCMP were called to the Sun-Rype picket line after security guards tore down a tarp erected by strikers and picketers responded by throwing snow balls and eggs, according to CastaNet, a web-based news service. The story notes that RCMP have been called to the picket line "on numerous occasions" during the strike.
This VERY BITTER strike was also covered on Global BCTV and by the Vancouver Sun. There's something internally about this whole situation that doesn't add up.
I still don't buy that angle for reasons listed above. Directors/Management of publicly traded company's typically focus on improving a companies bottom line/share value and typically don't follow who buys/sells share on the TSX.
greengreen
07-05-2008
the Gap continues
But if this stuff wasn't going on, how could the rich keep getting richer and the poor, poorer?
ME2
07-05-2008
Are they just ship-jumpers?
We consistently waste no time excoriating the rich for their association with various anti-union, obviously neocon-supportive companies, but without the least amount of debate, Lefties on this thread have been quick to ignore Glen Clarke's executive position with Pattison's business empire.
Similarly, I've seen no comment so far on his once Minister of Forests Dan Miller, who is now working for the Campbell gov't in greasing the way for the Oil and Gas industry in BC's North - which no doubt includes promoting coal-bed methane.
Now, I have no quarrel with either of these men, both with considerable abilities, for following their own lights, which is the rightful due of anyone.
However, those circumstances speak volumes to me re the inadvisability of the NDP allowing unions their voting membership on panels which interpret official policy subsequent to directions coming from party conventions.
Clearly, unionists view policy more from a "realpolitic" basis which directly favours both unions and Corporate interests in their particular industries rather than from traditional social democratic principles favouring the public first.
I am not the first to note that under their influence, so-called "Labour" Parties such as the NDP have become indistinguishable from their Right-wing counterparts.
Tell me, shouldn't a "Socialist" ex-Premier, ex-leader of a "Socialist" Party and Unionist extrardinaire, who then becomes Executive Vice President of a Corporation which is portrayed on this thread as a neocon, union-hating, worker-oppressing bloodless machine - shouldn't that tell us something?
The only answer is that either we are deliberately blind, or all of the anti-Pattison hype in the thread above is bunkum.
Stump
08-05-2008
Attn Sun-Rype
You just lost a customer. I've always bought your products for their local nature. Today I walked by your products and bought a carton of Happy Planet juice instead, based upon what I've read in this article.
Budd Campbell
09-05-2008
SUN RYPE: ONCE A GREAT COMPANY
When I was growing up in the Victoria of the 1950s SunRype apple juices were a staple in our refrigerator. There were two lines, blue label, which more or less survives today, and the more expensive pink label, which was thick like the stuff that now comes from California in gallon jars.
Sometime in the 1980s SunRype's lines were totally bowdlerized. They switched from classic cans to tetra packs, and the grand pink label product disappeared completely. It was all completely stupid from a consumer brand recognition and therefore business point of view.
I understand that now only a percentage of the "juice" is really from the Okanagan. Most of it is concentrate from China.