Rumours were always there
Posted Oct 20, 2011 05:14:24 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Verne McPeake started in the claims department at then Schneider’s, in January of 1965.
Now, retired after 46 and a half years, he says there were always rumours that the plant would close.
“Boy oh boy I tell you it’s a shock. I mean people would say, ‘you can see it coming’, it was always rumours. I’m shocked because I didn’t think it would, you know, I thought some way, somehow they would find a way to keep it open.”
McPeake added “…a lot of people have gone through there and now it sounds like it’s going to be like Goodrich and Seagram and gone by the wayside. “
Spending most of those 46 years in distribution on the corner of Borden and Courtland, McPeake says he has nothing but good memories working at the plant and wishes the employees luck.
“A great place to work. They treated me very well, it put food on my table and a roof over my head. It all worked out for me and I sure hope it works out for all of them.”
Maple Leaf Foods will be cutting 1,550 jobs, 1,200 of those in Kitchener. McPeake says that an employee needs to be at least 55 years old with 30 years of seniority, to not take a reduced pension.
