Superstore – Patience is Key
Patience: Knowing Progress Will Happen When Given the Time It Needs
April 22, 2021 – Edmonton, AB – Last week at Superstore negotiations, the company finally decided to negotiate.
“It’s been a frustrating couple of months of ‘hurry up and wait’ for the union negotiating committee,” said Executive Director Chris O’Halloran. “We’ve been pushing the company hard and they were not responding to their employees’ proposals.”
Heading into the last week of negotiations, the union was waiting for the company to respond to 18 scheduling proposals. We are happy to report that progress was finally made! Your negotiating committee was able to secure greater opportunities for you to get hours and increased flexibility to manage your own schedules.
Here’s a summary of some of the changes that were agreed to last week:
- 2-week schedules for ALL employees – long overdue!
- Full-timers are now entitled to two consecutive scheduled days off per week
- Increased time between shifts so you can recuperate and work safer
- A new Letter of Understanding securing a fair rotation of general holidays
- Increased notice must be given to you when changing/rescheduling your shift(s)
- Changes to the declaration of availability and minimum availability
- Access to work in more than one store
- Education leave improvements
A number of major scheduling issues were moved to the monetary portion of negotiations for later discussions, including:
- Increases to the guarantee of hours formula for “available anytime” employees
- Increase to the full-time ratio
Your union negotiating committee will continue to push the company to move faster and reach a fair settlement for you and your coworkers.
If you would like to join us for any of these negotiating sessions, simply email the union office at: ufcw@ufcw401.ab.ca and we will send you a video conference link for the next round of contract talks happening May 3-7.
Following the upcoming May dates, the union intends to push the company to start talking about issues related to compensation, benefits, and other issues that have a monetary value.
“Members should start to prepare for a summer showdown if the company is not willing to put a fair and reasonable offer on the table,” says O’Halloran. “We have $100 million in the strike fund and members have told us they’re tired of these delays.”
In solidarity,
Your UFCW 401 Union Negotiating Committee
Posted on: April 22,2021