A Thanksgiving Message From Your Union
Thanksgiving weekend is a special weekend. With the leaves turning colour and the air getting a bit crisper, this long weekend offers an ideal time to gather with family and reflect on the things for which we are thankful.
This is also a busy time for our members. Work at meatpacking plants gets focused in anticipation of increased turkey, beef, chicken, and pork sales, and the public flock to grocery stores to buy the essentials they need for Thanksgiving dinners.
But holidays aren’t easy for everyone, and the affordability crisis is making this Thanksgiving even more challenging for many. As we all continue struggling to make ends meet, food insecurity is on the rise in Canada, with many families forced to make difficult decisions between putting food on the table and keeping a roof over their heads.
Disturbingly, a February report projected that “more than 1 million Canadians accessing food charity programs for the first time in 2024[.]”
Closer to home, the CEO of the Calgary Food Bank, Melissa From, confirmed ahead of the Thanksgiving weekend that “the number of Calgary households relying on food banks daily has more than doubled since two years ago.”
Unfortunately, this is a reality with which your union is all too aware. We continue to hear heartbreaking stories from our members about how they are buckling under the pressure of skyrocketing prices, many unable to even afford to shop in stores where they work.
That’s why your union has been pushing employers and politicians to Stop the Squeeze and make life more affordable. The truth of the matter is that things can’t keep going the way they have been. Something needs to change.
It’s the people in power, whether they are wealthy CEOs or dawdling decision-makers in government, who can create that change.
Your union is busily preparing for the most aggressive bargaining we have ever coordinated. We know our members are ready to fight for the wage increases and benefit improvements they need and deserve.
Your union is with you every step of the way as we fight for fair contracts at the bargaining table.
So, this Thanksgiving, let’s be thankful for each other. Let’s be grateful that we are part of a union made up of people who care about each other.
Let’s draw strength from knowing that thousands of UFCW Local 401 members across the province and your union leadership have your back.
And let’s continue our work together, in strength and solidarity, as we aim to build better workplaces and a better world where life is more affordable for everyone.
In solidarity,
Thomas Hesse, President
Richelle Stewart, Secretary Treasurer
UFCW Local 401
Posted on: October 12,2024