Edmonton Lilydale workers on strike

Staff at the Lilydale Poultry processing plant in Edmonton are on strike.

About 200 workers set up a picket line outside the north Edmonton plant on Monday after negotiatons broke down last week.

The workers have been without a contract since May. The workers say they were locked out after serving strike notice last week.

Worker Mohammed Shah says the main issue is wages. He says workers in the Edmonton plant are paid less than their counterparts in Calgary and British Columbia.

"The cost of living is so high that everything is up compared to the wages we're making and it's hard to survive," he said.

Employees are also asking for a guarantee of 72 hours every two weeks.

They say hours are cut to 30 hours a week, five months a year and workers with the least seniority are sent home without pay during weeks where no birds are slaughtered.

"That's not good for us," said worker Emelita Brown. "Everybody has to pay bills. Everybody has to eat."

Lilydale says its last offer was reasonable. No talks are planned but both sides say the door is open.

The company is not bringing in any replacement workers and the plant is closed.