Sofina Calgary: Voting on a New Offer

Sofina workers are called upon to decide!

Your Union Bargaining Committee has advanced your issues, concerns and demands to the Company since negotiations began last year. It has been a long and at times difficult process that involved members standing together in solidarity and voting 99% to reject the previous offer, telling the employer that they needed to do better.

After that rejection, we campaigned hard to get the company back to the table and resumed contract negotiations on April 21st and 22nd. These discussions were tough, and your Bargaining Committee stood strong to advocate for your needs.

They were able to push the employer to improve their next offer beyond what they had said was possible, and secured significant improvements, including the largest wage increases this plant has received in recent history.  This is a significant achievement, which is why your Bargaining Committee recommends the new offer.

The New Offer: Some Highlights

Highlights of the new offer include:

• $4.15 wage increase over the six-year term of the contract that expires April 2, 2031
• $1.60 immediate increase at ratification
• $0.90 retro pay for all hours worked back to April 3, 2025
• $0.70 retro pay for all hours worked back to April 3, 2026 
• Improvements to the guarantee of hours language
• Increased vision care coverage
• Introduction of dual ticketed premium for tradespersons
• Introduction of new maintenance apprenticeship program and rates of pay
• Improved health and safety and duty-to-accommodate language
• Improved Union representation language
• New dignity and respect language

You can click here to see the offer. While it does not address every issue, it contains major improvements that would not have been possible without your support and solidarity.

To give members time to review the offer and weigh their decisions, we will hold our ratification votes on Thursday and Friday next week (see the full details below). During this time, we encourage you to read the document thoroughly and direct any questions you may have to the members of your Union Negotiating Committee.

Questions to Think About – There Are Some Reasons to Worry!

There are some positive aspects to this deal, but you should also think twice before voting yes. There are a few key questions to consider. Some members don’t feel positive about the offer.

The Length of the Contract

The deal is six years long… and a lot can happen in six years. In the timeframe 2020 – 2026, there was a pandemic, an affordability crisis and the rise of unprecedented global uncertainty. You will not be able to go back to the bargaining table, and if you accept this deal, you will probably find yourself negotiating seven years from now.

Is It Really the Best the Company Can Do?

The owner of your company, Michael Latifi, is a billionaire, and the cost of chicken keeps going up. It is true that 3% wage increases might feel satisfactory now, and that even the teachers’ union settled for 3% per year. Still, there are real issues about the greed that Sofina’s bosses have shown.

Questions About Scheduling

Some employees have expressed concerns about the addition of a Tuesday-to-Saturday shift in section 6, article 3.1 of the tentative agreement, which might allow the company to compel employees to work on Saturdays at regular wages. Your negotiating committee tried to get the company to move away from this language, but they would not do so.

While your employer has said they don’t plan to implement such a change, members will have to decide whether this potential drawback outweighs the improvements in the offer. There is a real risk that the company could make such a change.

If you vote no to the offer, we will continue negotiations with a government-appointed mediator on May 11th. A strike will not occur immediately, and if you vote yes, you may lose the opportunity to see a different offer. Nobody can guarantee that offer will be better, but if you vote yes, you will never know.

In order for there to be a strike, there would have to be a strike vote, and before a strike actually occurred, you would get another opportunity to vote on whatever offer the company was advancing.

Information Meetings and Voting Information

While we will hold an information session prior to the votes, please do not wait until then to ask any questions you might have. This is a big decision, and we want to be sure you have time to review your options and ask any questions that you might have. 

Information meetings
Monday, May 4, 2026
1:30 PM and 4:30 PM
Glenmore Inn and Convention Centre (1000 Glenmore Ct SE, Calgary)

In person voting
Thursday, May 7, 2026
10:30 AM to 6:00 PM
8:30 PM to 10:30 PM
Sofina main lunchroom

Online voting
11 PM on Thursday, May 7, 2026, until 2:00pm on Friday, May 8, 2026.

All members who were unable to vote in person will be emailed a link to vote to the email address registered with your Union. If you are unsure whether we have your correct email address, please contact the Union office to update your contact information or click here to update it at our website.

This choice is an important one! We encourage everyone to review the information and to vote.

Posted on: April 28,2026