Local 401 launches new television advertising campaign for Safeway workers…

Union keeps up public relations pressure on Sobeys ahead of bargaining

Local 401 will be serving Sobeys with a notice to bargain very soon. In anticipation of that bargaining, your union has launched a new television advertising campaign to keep the public relations pressure up on Sobeys.

Click here to watch our new television ad.

“These ads are running to send a message to Sobeys about the elephant in the room,” says UFCW Local 401 President Thomas Hesse. “When it comes to their Safeway stores, the Company’s business model is out of balance and headed in the wrong direction.”

“Sobeys needs to restore the trust of their employees and customers alike,” adds Hesse.

The campaign is a multi-week, high-budget advertising initiative designed to keep talking to customers about the challenges that Safeway workers face as we prepare for formal negotiations with Sobeys. Unlike last year, those negotiations will be subject to the requirements and obligations of the Alberta Labour Relations Code.

As the ad notes, Sobeys has a history of questionable business decisions. In 2016, the Financial Post wrote a scathing review of Sobeys’ purchase of Safeway:

Click here or on the image above to read the article.

Secretary Treasurer Richelle Stewart clarifies that the new ad is for more than just the union’s Safeway members.

“The ad sends a strong message to all the employers with whom we negotiate that we will advance the case of workers in the court of public opinion,” concludes Stewart. “Whether you work at Superstore, Cargill, Olymel, JBS, or elsewhere, your union will leverage our bargaining strength through public relations wherever necessary and appropriate.”

Posted on: May 01,2025