Fighting for a Better Future

In hard times, we stand shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow workers in the labour movement, like we are with workers at the Sobeys’ Rocky View Distribution Centre. As we prepare for imminent fights of our own, it’s important to reflect on how and why we fight for a better future.

A uniquely challenging time

The most important thing to understand is that the labour movement as a whole is responding to a uniquely challenging time in our history, and to an economy that very clearly has ordinary Albertans struggling. 

“Some of our members have asked us why we’re so pointed in our public advertising, or in our frank and honest statements about some of the employers we bargain with and the tactics they use,” says President Thomas Hesse of UFCW Local 401.

“At the end of the day, the reason is simple: our members need help urgently, and the majority of them want us fighting hard and without apology for their interests,” continues Hesse. “The recent news about minimum wage in Alberta is just the latest of many obstacles to getting a fair deal for workers in Alberta.”

“We’re seeing unions across Canada being more vocal and more active than anything this country has seen in decades,” adds Richelle Stewart, Secretary-Treasurer of UFCW Local 401. “And the reason for that is the extraordinary challenges facing workers.”

To find those extraordinary challenges, we don’t need to look further than the day’s headlines. Here’s just one recent example.

Alberta set to have Canada’s lowest minimum wage

With numerous unions across the province in bargaining, the affordability crisis in the province continues to deepen. Workers are demanding offers that will meet their economic needs.

Recently, HSAA members voted to reject an offer they felt fell short of what they needed from the provincial government.

More than half of Albertans report struggling with daily expenses, a figure that’s higher than any other province and six points above the national average.

No doubt a large contributor to that problem is that Alberta’s minimum wage remains static. When we noted back in October of 2024 that Alberta had gone from being a leader to a loser on minimum wage, Alberta was tied with Saskatchewan for the lowest minimum wage in Canada.

Now, even that dubious distinction is soon to be a thing of the past. Minimum wages are set to go up across Canada, with the exception of one province: Alberta.

Saskatchewan is set to raise its minimum wage to $15.35 per hour on October 1, 2025. Alberta will soon have the lowest minimum wage in the country, with minimum wage remaining unchanged at $15 per hour since 2018.

It doesn’t have to be this way

It’s yet another stark snapshot of what’s facing everyday Albertans as the cost of living continues to present huge challenges for simply surviving from day to day, with impacts on people’s relationships and mental health.

“Beyond the struggles faced directly by workers earning minimum wage, a low minimum wage has knock-on effects,” says President Hesse. “It tends to depress wages for workers more generally, especially in the service industry.”

This is all taking place as large companies remain incredibly profitable.

Loblaw’s reported increased revenues of $14,672 million in profits this quarter (yes, that means over $14.5 BILLION in revenues).

Sobeys’ parent company, Empire Co., has reported an 8.5% climb in profits from last year. Further, Cargill reported a strong performance of $154 billion in revenue for 2025.

These are all companies that can afford to give their workers a fair wages that meet their needs. They are operating in a province in whose interest it is to have a workforce that’s assured of a living wage. And that’s why UFCW Local 401 is at the forefront of the fight to change this status quo.

Your union at the forefront

“All of this is exactly why our union has prepared for aggressive bargaining,” notes President Hesse. “Bold action by unions is often needed to move the outcome at the bargaining table toward fairness.”

“The labour movement is facing a pivotal moment in Alberta and across Canada,” adds Secretary Treasurer Stewart. “We have to show up for each other, and we have to be courageous. Now is not the time to be shy.”

This is the principle that drives, for example, the Alberta Federation of Labour’s Common Front initiative and Local 401’s involvement.

The Common Front’s pact of solidarity embraces over 250,000 union members. The Common Front recently released an unambiguous warning to the Alberta government, co-signed by your union, on behalf of the many provincial unions currently in bargaining:

As these workers engage in the extremely meaningful and noble task of fighting to maintain their living standards, we the under-signed unions want to make it clear to the provincial government that if they try to break these workers or strip them of their bargaining power through the use of aggressive tactics like lockouts or back-to-work orders, they won’t be just taking on the unions in question, they will be taking on all of us.

This is not an idle threat: it’s a promise and commitment we’ve made to each other. On March 26, 2025, we announced the Solidarity Pact, committing to the principle of collective defense. There is no expiry date on the Pact. If any union goes on strike in the days ahead, they can count on solidarity and support from all members of the Common Front. That support will only be amplified if any efforts are made to strip workers of their constitutionally protected right to strike.

It is necessary for unions to be active and provocative in an environment where the very livelihood of their members is at stake.

Ironically, it is through taking these kinds of stances — as well as through publicity campaigns like the major television ad campaign launched at the beginning of this year — that we have the best hope of avoiding potential strikes and reaching better deals for members.

Rather than locking members into strike action, a strong strike vote, like the 100% vote we saw at Cargill Case Ready last year, helps to send employers a strong message about the determination of workers and ultimately works to avert having to hit the streets in order to get a fair deal.

That’s why our union will continue to be bold and unapologetic about fighting for workers in Alberta.

Stay tuned for more updates as that fight continues in the weeks and months to come.

Posted on: September 26,2025