Norfolk Co-Operative

The Norfolk Co-Operative is the former name of Norfolk FS, an agricultural supply company in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada. Since 1918, it has relied on bagged feed truck drivers and truck drivers bringing dangerous chemical goods to deliver to the farmers of the community. It serves
farming and rural communities of Haldimand-Norfolk, and parts of Elgin and
Oxford counties. Norfolk FS is owned jointly by Norfolk Co-operative Co. Ltd. and Growmark, a regional co-operative. Bernie Daly is the director of Norfolk FS.

Many of the blue collar employees come from humble villages and hamlets like Pine Grove where the people are immersed into the agricultural lifestyle. In 2006, the company changed its name to Norfolk FS after fighting bankruptcy since 2003.

A typical workday for an employee of the Norfolk Co-Operative begins at 6 AM and typically ends at 5 PM unless there is an emergency or farming goods are needed to be shipped outside the local area on medium-haul trips done late in the afternoon. While the office workers have college or university degrees, the general work staff have at least a tenth grade education. Truck drivers for this company generally make around $10/hour (around $30,000 per annum). In addition to feed, seed, and chemicals, water is also delivered to the local farms.

The truck drivers here are not a part of any trucking union but they receive health benefits through the company and their employer. During the company's entire 75+ year history, there has never been an incentive for the employees to unionize. The typical retirement age is 65, although employees may continue to work past that age. However, they are stripped of all employee benefits even though most employees can keep their old age pension.

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