Michael J. Fraser, the national director of UFCW Canada (United Food and Commercial Workers Canada) has appealed to Canada’s Prime Minister Paul Martin to get involved in resolving a strike at the Tyson Foods Lakeside Packers cattle slaughterhouse and processing facility in Brooks, Alberta.

"During the BSE Mad Cow crisis, Ottawa and Alberta gave more than $40 million to Tyson because of a business crisis," said Fraser. "Where are the Prime Minister and Premier Klein now that there's a human crisis?"

The strike by workers at the facility started on October 12th after US-owned Tyson Foods rejected a contract agreement proposal at Lakeside, following nine months of fruitless negotiations.

Mr Fraser has now agreed to meet with senior Tyson executives in the United States before the situation at Lakeside escalates further and causes what he terms as "irreparable harm to Lakeside workers, their families, Brooks, the Alberta community and the Canadian cattle industry."

"I am ready to meet anytime, anyplace to settle this strike as quickly as possible. The situation in Brooks is not good and it must be resolved before tensions escalate any further."