“24 Days in Brooks” National Film Board of Canada
Chronology and please follow as you watch the film
Keep this.

|Time |What takes place |Comments |
|1984 – not stated in |At this time the plant first becomes unionized; there|The union is and continues to be the US Based United Food and Commercial |
|film – 28 years ago |is a strike in which the union is “crushed”. workers|Workers (UFCW). How to get a union certified in Alberta? |
| |are very scared. No immigrant workers at this time. |See: |
| | |http://www.alrb.gov.ab.ca/guideopening.html |
| | |1. 40% or more union membership cards signed or names on signed petition |
| | |2. representation vote held of 50% plus 1 |
|1984-90 – not shown in |Union attempts to re-gain a foothold with the |Union buys a house in Brooks in order to locate in town to demonstrate long |
|film - |workers. Union starts to help workers solve problems |term commitment to helping the workers. Tried several times unsuccessfully |
| |like EI, Workers’ compensation claims, pension issues|to organize the workers into the union. |
| |etc. | |
|1999-2005 – not shown |Immigrants are directed to Brooks to work in the |Plant starts to reflect this ethnic diversity. Remember about 2400 work at |
| |plant. Mostly from east Africa, Sudan, Ethiopia, |the plant and perhaps half are recent immigrants. |
| |Eritrea, Congo (hence the French) and Mexico. These | |
| |workers’ only way to stay in Canada to pay off the | |
| |government’s loans etc. was to stay in jobs such as | |
| |at Lakeside Packers. Workers also are sending money | |
| |back to their families. | |
|2005- May |These workers are far more educated and aware of |When the 60 workers are fired it is incentive to form a union. The UFCW |
|Before the film |their rights and their right to be treated well with |gets certified sometime that summer. |
| |dignity than has been understood. 60 workers are |See site: http://www.gounion.ca/lakesidearchivebargain.cfm |
| |fired when a group of workers marches down to the | |
| |town hall to complain about terribly working | |
| |conditions, dangerous situations, the fact that the |Working conditions are terrible. What you see in the film are “staged” shots|
| |co. will not allow workers to first go