Canada-Poultry plant lays off staff.

CANADA-POULTRY PLANT CUT BACKS.

Eastern Protein is a subsidiary of ACA Co-operative Ltd. of Kentville, which announced last month that it is cutting more than 300 jobs at two of its Kings County poultry processing facilities.

The Eastern Protein plant in Kentville is closing permanently and the workers are fighting for severance and vacation pay they say the company refuses to give them.

’’I’m told the company has a list of 57 creditors and the workers are No. 56 on the list,’’ said Tim Brown, president of Local 2216 of the Canadian Auto Workers, which represents the workers.

’’We think we should be No. 1 on the list.’’

Brown said there is about $800,000 in severance pay and $500,000 in vacation pay at stake.

’’Some workers have as much as $6,000 in vacation pay owed to them. That was money that came directly off their paycheque every week. We feel the workers deserve what they worked for.’’

Eastern Protein worker Billy Rhynard of Kentville said he was ’’a little surprised’’ by the layoff announcement.

’’I was really happy to see so many people and so many speakers here today,’’ he said Sunday. ’’Now we hope to get some results.’’

Rhynard, a labourer, said he isn’t sure what lies ahead but is concerned that if he decides to leave his job before the end of the month, he won’t be entitled to unemployment benefits.

’’So we will be penalized if we start our job search early,’’ he said.