With Halloween Approaching, We Reflect on the Affordability “Horror Movie” That Never Seems to End

With Halloween just around the corner, your union is reflecting on the affordability crisis that refuses to die… and how we can fight it together.

Despite reports of inflation coming down, the sky-high costs of everything from gas to groceries to rent and mortgage payments seem here to stay. This means there is still a great deal of work ahead of us fighting for an affordable future for Local 401 members.

“This zombie crisis just won’t die,” said President Thomas Hesse. “You see reports about how inflation is coming down. But our members aren’t feeling like life is any more affordable based on the size of their grocery bills or the cost of heating their homes as the weather turns cold.”

“We won’t stop fighting until we drive a stake through the heart of this crisis and stop it from bleeding working people’s wallets dry,” concluded Hesse.

We have seen positive developments during the past year. We’re bargaining more aggressively than ever before and have seen some meaningful wins at a number of workplaces.

On the other hand, we know that the corporations whose profits have powered the affordability crisis across our province need to be pressured to do the right thing. A recent court decision calling for another arbitration of the Safeway wage reopener is a signal of the difficult fights that still lie ahead. You can click here to see an update about that situation.

But your union is ready for those battles. Taking on difficult fights and winning is part of our union’s history, and we are proud of it!

Our first Ready, Set, Go! Bargaining Conference is all about being prepared as we go into major bargaining in the coming years. The Conference has drawn such a strong response from our members that we’re coordinating a second conference in the spring.

In the meantime, we’re committed to helping and supporting our members in any way we can. You can find important affordability resources at our Stop the Squeeze homepage.

Finally, in getting ready for aggressive bargaining and putting pressure on employers at workplaces across Alberta, we also remember to celebrate what President Hesse calls “union joy.” As a part of that, if your household is getting ready to buy candy for this year’s trick-or-treaters, remember to buy UFCW-made brands and support our members!

Posted on: October 18,2024