Noticed an egg shortage in some Quebec grocery stores? Here’s why

If you are grocery shopping in Quebec, you may notice that there's a shortage of eggs at some grocery stores. This is the last box of this brand at this grocery store. Bourbon is like one of the best popular ones here. So now we have to carry a lot of them. Well there's a reason behind it. Things aren't going over easy with Femmes Saint-Zotique and 120 of its employees at their egg grading plant where they process and package raw eggs. The workers are already ready to go back to work. They've been locked out. It's not a strike, it's a lockout. So they're ready to get back to work, get back to the bargaining table and have a collective agreement that everyone agrees upon. So they're ready. According to the union, workers went on a five-hour strike on October 1st and then worked the overnight shift. The next day, when they got to work, they were locked out. Workers have key demands for the employer. Of course, salary increases to offset the effects of loss of purchasing power. but also there are issues with seniority and staff movement and the use of outside agencies to work the machines. So how does this lockout affect you? Femme Saint-Zotique, a division of Burnbrae Farms, plays a significant role in supplying the Quebec market, producing 30 to 40 percent of all eggs sold in Quebec grocery stores, leaving some grocers scrambling to meet the demand for eggs. Femme Saint-Zotique continues to grade eggs. If they don't grade any eggs, their warehouse is supposed to be at full capacity. For the producer, we want to see our eggs in our grocery. And now, in certain cases, it's not the case. The union and the workers it represents are worried about the impact this lockout could have on production and jobs in the province. It says the company could source eggs from the U.S. One expert says an interruption like this can have a significant impact. This is a very tight logistical chain, so it's never good news when you have a significant part of the chain that is not working properly, that is being stopped. The hope is the two sides can put all their eggs in one basket and crack a deal.