Lockout at Ferme St-Zotique - Locked-out workers from Ferme St-Zotique Bring Their Message to Burnbrae Headquarters

LYN, ON, Oct. 21, 2026 /CNW/ -- Locked out since October 2, workers from the Ferme St-Zotique traveled today to Burnbrae Farms headquarters in Lyn, Ontario, to demand that the employer resume negotiations and put an end to the conflict. A total of 50 workers made the trip, who came from Quebec to remind the company's leadership that there is a solution at hand: returning to the bargaining table and reaching a collective agreement. 

On October 6, the union submitted its monetary demands for conciliation. The employer was expected to respond on October 16, but cancelled a planned meeting and postponed its response until November 11, alleging that upper management needed to re-evaluate its operations. Régine Sergerie, President of the Syndicat des travailleuses et travailleurs de la Ferme St-Zotique (STTFSZ-CSN), explained why the locked-out workers chose to go to Lyn, "They told us that the decisions were being made at the highest level of the company. So, we brought our message to them! We want to return to work, but if we're going to get there, Burnbrae needs to come back to the table and show us that they are ready to make an agreement."

Concerns about resorting to US-sourced eggs
Ferme St-Zotique is a major supplier in Quebec's egg market: it produces 30% of the eggs sold in supermarkets. For the workers, decisions made by the company raise concerns about the future of Quebec's production and jobs. To that point, CSN President Caroline Senneville said, "While these workers are locked out, the company has told its clients that they can source eggs from the United States to fill the gaps in Quebec's market! All this while St-Zotique workers are ready and available to do their jobs. The best option is still to resume negotiations."

The union hopes for a return to work
Working to ensure that consumers were aware of the reality behind this conflict, Fédération du commerce-CSN President Serge Monette, added, "This is not a strike: these workers have been locked out by their employer. We will stand with them until they secure a fair collective agreement and the return to work that they have been asking for from the start of this conflict." Monette spoke live on this topic on LCN last night at 18:35.

Mobilization that goes beyond the facility gates
CSN representatives also came out to the action at Lyn to support the Saint-Zotique workers. "When an employer goes after a union, they're going after the labour movement as a whole. On October 2, we affirmed that we wouldn't let the Ferme St-Zotique workers down. And so, we're here today. They are not alone, and management needs to understand that," emphasized Audrey Benoit, President of the Conseil central de la Montérégie-CSN.

About
The STTFSZ-CSN represents over one hundred workers from the Saint-Zotique egg grading facility. It is affiliated with the Fédération du commerce-CSN, which brings together over 67,000 members, as well as the Conseil central de la Montérégie-CSN. The CSN represents over 350,000 workers across all activity sectors.

SOURCE CSN - Confédération des syndicats nationaux

Information: Valérie Gilker Létourneau, Communications Advisor, 514-544-1654, [email protected]