The poll results are in… Watch for a coming vote on Safeway’s offer

Last week, your union had intense negotiations with Safeway.

There was some progress at the table. Your union asked that bargaining continue into January. However, the Compay refused and requested that Local 401 conduct a vote on their offer.

When asked if it was their final offer, the Company refused to answer. 

Click here to see the Company’s offer and priorities to settle a contract.

Local 401 has now completed a poll of our Safeway members. There continue to be concerns about Safeway’s threats and their approach to bargaining. Some feel that Safeway has created a toxic environment and are angry and frustrated.

Nonetheless, Safeway employees are in favour of having a vote on the Company’s offer by about a 64% percent margin. 

This does not mean that Safeway employees are happy with the offer. The vast majority of those who participated in the poll are top-rated or overscale employees.

Even though they face Safeway’s threats of a wage rollback and recoup, about 80% of those polled indicate that they are not inclined to endorse Safeway’s offer. 

Senior employees are happy with their union’s victory in achieving a 10% wage increase and want to hang onto it. But they are understandably concerned about the next four years. 

Safeway employees strongly endorsed the last collective agreement, only to face outrageous and unexpected inflation not long after their vote.

The Company’s offer spans four years, and while the union-won 10% increases would stay, there is no money in the first or second years and only 2% increases in each of the third and fourth years.

Economist Jim Stanford has advised that Safeway employees should receive 5% increases in 2025 and 2026 at a minimum to hold on to the standard of living they had four years ago!

Safeway also says that if you vote in favour of their offer, your union must withdraw all of its legal actions, including all of its grievances and court applications. They want you to surrender. 

Be cautious in reading the offer. There appears to be a retirement bonus of sorts. But whether Safeway pays it or not is entirely at their discretion. 

For employees making their way up through the system, Safeway’s offer is indeed dismal.

There are no raises at all for the next four years for employees who are not at the top of the scales. The offer only contains nominal signing bonuses that, when taxes are deducted, will likely do little more than buy you a single cart of groceries. 

It is important to know that if rejected, there can still be no strike or lockout for some number of months. Notice to commence bargaining can only occur in April and a strike or lockout option will likely only emerge in the summer at the earliest. 

It is critical that you make yourself aware of the facts and all of the circumstances that surround this vote.

Please read your emails, talk to union representatives, and reach out to your union office if necessary. Please participate in the vote. Please debate this vote with your coworkers and make a considered and informed decision. 

Ultimately, the choice will be yours. Even in these very difficult circumstances, you are going to have to assume responsibility for your choice and face the related consequences. 

Local 401 will continue to work to ensure that members like you have as much leverage as possible. Employees have said that by a 95% margin, they are ready to consider a strike.

A new union advertising campaign will soon commence to remind the Company that workers matter and to build alliances with customers.  

The Alberta Federation of Labour has been contacted by Local 401 and they stand on guard to bring 300,000 unionized workers in Alberta to the aid of Safeway employees. 

“It is not in our repertoire to tell union members how to vote,” says President Thomas Hesse. “That is not our prerogative. However, it is our role and job to maximize our bargaining leverage so that employees have options.”

“If Safeway tries to take money away from Safeway workers, for example, legal advice and advocacy will be available,” says Secretary Treasurer Richelle Stewart. “We will stand with any member who is attacked by Safeway.”

When asked squarely what they thought about Safeway’s offer, Hesse and Stewart spoke in unison, “Safeway workers deserve better.”

Standby for details on voting procedures and logistics coming soon.

In solidarity,
Your Union
UFCW Local 401

Local 401 is conducting an investigation into Safeway’s threats and conduct in the last number of months and moving forward. The vote on the offer is conducted on a without prejudice basis. It is important that we monitor Safeway’s behaviour to ensure that people can voluntarily express their wishes without undo threat or coercion.

Posted on: December 22,2024