Special virtual meeting for Safeway members on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 7:00 PM!

Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 7:00 PM

The questions for our March 11 special virtual meeting with Safeway members are rolling in!

Here are some of the questions we have received so far:

• I’m growing increasingly concerned about aggressive customers. I heard that Superstore has introduced bodycams for employees. What are your thoughts about safety and security in our stores?
• I heard of an employee with over 40 years of service who got fired for taking a dime out of a change conversion machine in my store. Is Safeway trying to get rid of top-rated, expensive employees?
• Will my store get converted to a FreshCo? Will it be closed?
• I know we did some bargaining briefly before Christmas, but when will bargaining start again?
• I am not sure I understand how we got a wage reopener process in the contract. I’ve worked at Safeway for a long time. How did that even end up in our last contract?
• Why is our union always talking about strikes?
• If we vote to go on strike, how long is that strike vote good for? Does it have an expiration date?
• What is the connection between the economy and bargaining?
• Safeway’s business model seems different since Sobeys took over. What are your thoughts on that?
•  When can we start to bargain and what will the bargaining process look like?
• Can I come to bargaining?
• Employees seem divided. Some voted yes to hang on to the money that the union won. Others voted no because they never got that money, and they thought the contract didn’t meet their needs. How do we unite now?
• What is strike pay, and how long can the union afford to pay it?
• I am top-rated. Did the Company have to roll my wages back?
• What do union polls say about union members’ bargaining priorities now?
• What legal proceedings are ongoing? Will we win them?
• What effect will Trump’s tariffs have on the economy? I’m worried about inflation.
• I’d rather have an ad campaign to pressure Sobeys than go on strike. The thought of picketing scares me, and I can’t afford it. What will we do?
• Isn’t the union going to court to get our raises back for senior employees?
• I got fired at Walmart without just cause and there was nothing I could do about it. What kind of job security do I have with this union?
• Does Sobeys have non-union stores? If there is a strike, can’t the Company sell groceries there?
• There is a meat cutter at work who is mad at the Company, mad at the union, and mad at the world. He is dragging us all down. What can I say to him?
• I am a senior employee. But I feel like I don’t matter in this process. Why are our issues not getting their share of attention?
• I support my union, but what can I do?
• What will the union do to avoid a strike?
• I’ve heard that the Company can lock us out. What does this mean?
• If there is a strike, how long will it last?
• What arguments does the Company make? Don’t you think some of them are valid?
• What is the connection between the government and union negotiations?
• Why are there no rent controls in Alberta? Why hasn’t the government reduced the cost of electricity and auto insurance? I wouldn’t need as big of a raise if the government took better care of us.
• Doesn’t Sobeys have more power than the union? Don’t they hold all of the cards?
• What is the union’s philosophy about bargaining? Can I attend bargaining?

Email your question to media@ufcw401.ab.ca for your chance to win a $100 Safeway grocery gift card.

This special meeting with President Thomas Hesse and Secretary Treasurer Richelle Stewart will:

• Review our most recent polling results on what Safeway members are thinking around bargaining
• Answer questions about what the coming months hold for Safeway members
• Feature a Safeway member panel talking about their experiences over the past few weeks and months

You will receive an email with a link to join the meeting via a live video stream so you can watch the meeting and ask your questions live.

However, if you would prefer to join via telephone, simply ignore that email, and we will call you just prior to 7:00 PM on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. If you answer that call, you will be automatically connected to the meeting and have the opportunity to ask your questions live.

President Hesse and Secretary Treasurer Stewart hope you will be able to join them for this important meeting on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 7:00 PM!

Posted on: March 06,2025