Safeway Members: When should we go to the bargaining table?

CRITICAL UNION UPDATE
Attention Safeway Employees…

Local 401 has already commenced preparations for negotiations with Sobeys. Safeway employees rejected their first offer in an effort made to reach an agreement well before the contract actually expired.

Under Alberta law, either the union or the Company can give notice to start bargaining again. That notice period starts in April and extends for a few months.

Some employees are anxious to get back to the bargaining table. But others don’t want to rush.

The earlier you go to the bargaining table, the quicker the bargaining process can unfold and come to a head. The earlier you go to the table, the earlier there can be a strike. The earlier you go to the table, the earlier the Company will be in a legal position to lock you out.

Generally speaking, if employees prefer going to the bargaining table early, it’s best to do so from a position of strength. If you are ready to take a strike vote, run the risk of a strike or a lockout, and feel a sense of unity and solidarity, then early bargaining might be preferable.

Other employees feel that we should not rush to the bargaining table. Some argue that the best thing to do is to take a break from bargaining and let the dust settle.

Many employees are still trying to adjust to Sobeys harsh wage reductions, and they do not feel like they are in an economic position to threaten a strike. Some feel that the passage of more time will heal some divisions and create a more conciliatory and objective environment for bargaining.

Still other employees would prefer that their union continue with a public relations campaign to place pressure on the Company and only consider a strike vote and job action as a last resort.  

Today at the Alberta Court of Appeal

There are two things happening at the Alberta Court of Appeal that have been advanced by your union.

In the coming months, your union will be asking the Alberta Court of Appeal to restore your union-won 10% wage increase by upholding the arbitrator’s award.

Today, we asked the Court of Appeal to restore that wage increase immediately with a stay application. Unfortunately, that did not happen.

Nonetheless, the Court of Appeal judge pushed Sobeys to agree to an early hearing to bring the matter to resolution. Also, under pressure from your union, the Company was forced to promise the Court that they would not seek to get any money back from you until all legal proceedings had been concluded.

Under union pressure and bit by bit, small victories are occurring. But this is clearly a battle.

We do not have a pro-worker legal system and Sobeys is a multi-billion-dollar corporation that is a very powerful force to deal with. Without a union, many workers are convinced that they would be making minimum wage, like at Walmart.

That’s the hard truth.

It is thanks to Local 401 that employees enjoyed a significant wage bump over the last two years. It is because of Sobeys’ greed and aggression that it has been rolled back. Let’s call the situation as it is.

Tell us your thoughts now!

We are in the ongoing process of polling our members for their thoughts on bargaining issues and priorities. But we need your input on bargaining procedure.

Should we push for bargaining as early as possible or should we wait a few extra months to demand that bargaining take place?

There are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches.

Generally, if we are going to push for a fight, then we must be ready for that fight. It is also important to note that under Alberta law, the Company can also take a position that bargaining should commence earlier rather than later.

It is important to understand that bargaining is a process or a type of “game”. It is frustrating that there are no black-and-white answers. But like many business processes and life itself, bargaining is something that evolves and that can be unpredictable.

Our union is a democratic one, and we work very hard to be driven by the opinions and will of our members as a collective. Individual opinions must be respected as well.

But in any democratic organization, the majority rules, and any responsible union is accountable to that opinion. Again, please click above to provide us with your opinion on this matter.

Additionally, if you have not taken the pre-bargaining issues survey yet, please click here. This survey focuses on proposals that you might have that you want your union to bring to the bargaining table.

Posted on: February 20,2025