A Crucial Moment: Last Offer & Your Decision
Since negotiations began earlier this year, your Union Negotiating Committee has worked diligently to represent your interests and demands to the company. Burnbrae members deserve a fair outcome from bargaining.
Be sure to read all the way to bottom for Q&A, voting locations, and times!
It is always our goal to bring the best possible offer back to the membership to vote on. Your Negotiating Committee has done everything in its power to achieve that goal for you.
While we have reached agreements on most of our outstanding issues, we were unable to ultimately reach an agreement on an overall package. Unfortunately, there remain a number of outstanding issues that the company did not address in bargaining.
Nonetheless, your solidarity and strength equipped your Union Negotiating Committee with the tools it needed to pressure the company into tabling what they have called their “Last, Best and Final Offer.”
While this company offer may not address all of the issues you have identified, your Committee believes that it is the best possible offer achievable without straying into a labour dispute.
As such, we want to present you with the offer and highlight some of the improvements we have been able to achieve:
- $2.60 increase over the life of the agreement, including $1.30 immediately upon ratification,
- Retro payback to June 2022,
- 4-year agreement expiring in June 2025,
- 100% company-paid medical and dental benefits, which puts more money back into your pockets — members will only pay long-term disability premiums,
- Improved vacation entitlement and quicker access to the fifth week of vacation,
- Increased shift premiums,
- Increased boot allowance,
- Improved health and safety language.
In order to give you an adequate amount of time to review the company’s offer, we will be holding off on any ratification votes for a few days. Please use this time to review the offer and make an informed decision about what is best for you and your family.
We encourage you to direct any questions you may have to the members of your Union Negotiating Committee. We will be holding an information session prior to any ratification votes. However, please do not wait until those sessions to ask any questions that you might have.
This is an important decision, and we want to ensure that you have both the time and the information you need to be confident about casting your vote when the time comes.
Your Negotiating Committee understands that the expectations of Burbrae members are rightly high. Nonetheless, the Committee also felt that it was important to bring this “Last, Best and Final Offer” back to you, the members, for you to have your say about how we proceed.
There are a number of improvements and additions to the contract that, if accepted, would provide additional benefits and wages to employees immediately. The company has also committed to paying out the proposed retro payments before the end of the year.
If you choose to reject the company’s offer, your Union Negotiating Committee will be applying for mediation in the New Year.
Click here to see the company’s last, best, and final offer.
Question and answer meetings: will be held at the Glenmore Inn and Convention Centre (1000 Glenmore Ct SE) on Sunday, December 10, 2023, between 12:01 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.
In-person voting: will be held at the Plant in the Lunchroom on Monday, December 11, 2023, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Online voting: (for those unable to vote in person) will be conducted between 12:001 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12, 2023.
Your Union utilizes an independent voting company to ensure the integrity of online voting. If you wish to vote online, the company conducting the vote for us will require a valid email address to send you a unique ballot and password.
If you are unsure if the Union has the correct email address for you, please contact our Calgary Office at 403-291-1047 to update your contact information.
The choice facing you is an important one, and we encourage everyone to review the information and make their voice heard by voting!
In solidarity,
Your UFCW Local 401 Union Negotiating Committee,
Devin Yeager (Spokesperson)
Teresa Ludwig (Union Labour Relations Officer)
Evelyn Cunanan
Sander Dulmers
For a printable version of this document, click here.
Posted on: December 05,2023