Our Members at Work: Golden Boy Foods

UFCW Local 175 members employed at Golden Boy Foods take great pride in the peanut butter products they make.

Throughout the plant in Markham, the 41 Unionized full-time employees work at almost every point of production – from measuring and preparing ingredients to packing and shipping.

These essential workers continue to produce products that help feed our nation through the COVID-19 pandemic.

The warehouse side of the Golden Boy Foods plant is filled with huge sacks of raw peanuts, both organic and regular. Here, the peanuts wait to be roasted, blanched, and separated from their skins before heading to the production side where employees will turn them into peanut butter.

On the production side, the peanuts are ground into a paste and mixed with any additional ingredients to be included, depending on the recipe of the final product, before being jarred and labelled.

Employees at Golden Boy Foods produce a number of peanut butters for private labels, including organic and conventional lines.

Of course, the whole factory smells of warm, roasted peanuts.

Our Members are responsible for working with machinery, moving items with forklifts, shipping and receiving products, roasting and blanching peanuts, cleaning and checking equipment, and much more, all to achieve a consistent and quality product.

The Unionized employees work as:

• Milling Operators,
• WSR Material Handlers and Forklift Operators,
• Production Workers,
• Roaster Operators, and;
• Quality Assurance (QA) Technicians.
• Depending on the department and classification, job tasks may include:
• Following formulas,
• Measuring ingredients,
• Following food safety regulations and procedures,
• Maintaining sanitation,
• Checking machinery,
• Assuring quality levels;
• Repairing equipment, plus;
• Stacking and storage.

“We’ve got a great group at Golden Boy Foods, and a diligent team of Stewards and Joint Health & Safety Committee members who help maintain a good working environment for everyone,” said Union Rep Christina Mayberry. “I know they’re very proud of the work they do and the products they make.”

If you’re out shopping and peanut butter is on your grocery list, know that many of the brands you might find on grocery store shelves are made proudly by Members of UFCW Local 175 at Golden Boy Foods.

Golden Boy Foods Stewards & JHSC

• Selvamathy Alvappillai
• Gunanayaga Thurainayagam
• Avedis Tomasian

You can also read this article as it appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of Checkout magazine.

Photos taken in January 2020.

Read more features of Our Members at Work!

Catch up on all the negotiation highlights from across the province here.

Plus, learn about the discounts and services, and free training opportunities available to you as a valued Member of the Union.

Did you know? You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter? Plus, you can also sign up to receive monthly e-newsletters from Your Union.

You can also read past issues of Checkout on Issuu.com.