IT’S TIME TO PREPARE
Though bargaining for a new union contract continued this week in Edmonton, strike action seems likely at Alberta Safeway stores.
The UFCW Local 401 Safeway bargaining team continues to pressure Sobeys Management for fair compensation for the hard work of their fellow Safeway employees.
Your bargaining committee continues to insist that if FreshCo stores are to come to Alberta, the transition must be a respectful one.
Safeway employees must have good options
- There must be reasonable severance packages if an employee wants to leave.
- There have to be options to transfer from a converting store into another Safeway store.
- For those that might want to work at a FreshCo’s, that collective agreement needs to be a reasonable one.
We continue to be concerned about the culture of our changing workplace
It just doesn’t feel the same working for Sobeys. As such, we are insisting on negotiating specific contract language to protect staff from customer aggression and abuse. We are advancing precise language to guarantee your security and that employees are respected and treated with dignity.
The bargaining team has scheduled more bargaining dates in December. However, in the absence of meaningful progress at the bargaining table, we will be setting out a timeline for a potential strike.
It is critical that, as we plan for the months ahead, you respond to union communications regarding picketing and strike pay. This information is essential for powerful strike preparation.
Stay connected with Local 401
It’s vital that you immediately know when you can vote on a contract offer or if a strike will commence.
In Solidarity,
Thomas Hesse,
President
Chris O’Halloran,
Executive Director
April Albrecht and Joe Atwood,
Senior Labour Relations Representatives
Posted on: November 07,2019