One Year Later: Turning Frustration Into Power
We know that for many Safeway workers, the last year hasn’t been easy.
A wage rollback doesn’t just show up on a pay stub — it shows up in mortgage and rent payments, grocery bills, childcare costs, gas, and credit cards that don’t quite get paid off anymore.
For some, it has meant taking on extra debt, delaying plans, or making hard choices about what gets cut so everything else can get covered. For others, it’s meant picking up second jobs, working longer hours, and pushing through exhaustion, all while the stress and uncertainty take a real toll on mental health and family life.
And when we turn on the news and watch Donald Trump, it can feel like bullying is being treated as strength, like intimidation and pressure are just the way things work now. But bullying is ALWAYS WRONG.
Today marks one full year since Sobeys took 6.5% of the hard-fought union-won wage increases away from top-rated and overscale Safeway workers.
That decision came after members voted NO to the company’s pre-packaged December 2024 offer. That was an offer that failed to deliver meaningful wage increases to all Safeway workers and offered no real improvements to benefits.
Rather than respecting that democratic vote, Sobeys chose intimidation.
They made you vote under the threat of cutting wages, knowing full well that workers were already dealing with rising costs and economic pressure. It was a calculated move driven by greed, not necessity.
When Safeway workers stood their ground and asked for what they needed, Sobeys retaliated. Their decision to roll wages back in the middle of an affordability crisis was described as “beyond the pale” and “reprehensible” by professors and lawyers specializing in labour relations.
Sobeys has since reported another quarter of very high profits, while the workers who keep their stores running continue to feel the impact of that decision every single month.
“What Sobeys did a year ago was a disgusting attack on working people,” says UFCW Local 401 President, Thomas Hesse. “They took wages away from workers who are struggling to get by after workers exercised their right to vote NO in favour of pushing for a deal that would help all Safeway workers. That anger you’re feeling is real, and it should be aimed at the employer who caused it.”
Your union’s role has been, and continues to be, to fight back using every tool available to us.
Next week, bargaining resumes, and we are officially in fight mode. We are organizing. We are mobilizing. And we are preparing to secure a strong strike vote mandate so we can demand the fair wages and respect that Safeway workers deserve.
“Workers are still paying the price for Sobeys’ greed while the company posts very high profits,” said UFCW Local 401 Secretary-Treasurer, Richelle Stewart. “The only way we win back fair wages is by standing together, getting organized, and being ready to use our collective power.”
WHAT COMES NEXT
This moment is about turning frustration into collective power.
Sobeys understands one thing clearly: pressure. And that pressure comes from organized, united workers ready to stand together.We are still fighting the wage rollback.
We are still challenging corporate greed.
And we are building toward the strength we need to win.
A STRIKE VOTE IS VERY LIKELY
Unfortunately, as long as employees continue coming to work for the wages Sobeys is currently offering to Safeway members, the company has little incentive to agree to meaningful raises.
History shows that employers only take negotiations seriously when workers are prepared to stand together and apply real pressure.
A strike vote does not mean a strike will automatically happen. Its purpose is to show unity and to force genuine bargaining at the table, not to walk out the next day.
And even if a strike vote passes, there would still be another vote before any strike action takes place.
Local 401 always conducts a final offer vote, even if a strike deadline has been set, so members have the opportunity to review the company’s best offer and make the final decision before considering walking a picket line.
COURT UPDATE
We are still waiting for the Alberta Court of Appeal’s decision on the wage rollback. Nothing has been released yet.
As soon as a decision is published, we will inform members right away.
We continue to push Sobeys on a variety of different issues, in the courts, at the Labour Board, and in front of arbitrators. but we know this decision is the one that members are most eagerly anticipating.
As soon as we know, you will know. And trust that your union continues to fight for you in every way that we can.
STAY CONNECTED
You can start by staying connected and checking our bargaining website for the most up-to-date and accurate information: gounion.ca/safewaybargaining2025
You can also contact your Union Representative or Shop Steward for clear, streamlined updates.
And remember: SAFEWAY TALKS is the employer’s voice. Do not rely on company communications for the truth about bargaining. Always check with your Union.
ATTEND THE NEXT ROUND OF BARGAINING
The next round of bargaining runs February 4–6 in Calgary at the Carriage House Hotel & Conference Centre.
We believe transparent negotiations make us stronger, and nothing sends a clearer message than workers showing up. All Safeway members are welcome to attend and witness bargaining in action. If you want to be there, let your Union Representative know.
Your presence matters, and it helps show Sobeys we’re united, informed, and ready to fight for fair wages.
Stay connected. Stay engaged. And stay ready!
Posted on: January 26,2026