Union Files Legal Complaint Against Avenue Living as Bargaining Heats Up

Your Union Bargaining Committee met with the company on May 13 and 14, 2026, to continue negotiations.

Although we were able to make some further improvements in this round of meetings (see below for details), we also confronted Avenue Living’s anti-union actions.

Since the members rejected a decertification campaign in February aimed at convincing them to ditch their union rights, workers have been frustrated by an increase in anti-union sentiment at their workplace.

These tensions reached a whole new level on March 16, when management unlawfully excluded union members from a bonus program (offered exclusively to non-union employees) and publicly shamed some of our members in front of approximately 100 of their non-union peers during an online meeting.

As a result, we have filed an Unfair Labour Practice Complaint with the Alberta Labour Relations Board.

We are also continuing outreach discussions with Avenue Living employees in non-union locations, inviting them to join their unionized coworkers in achieving better compensation and working conditions.

We did agree with Avenue Living on the following collective agreement improvements:

• Article 4 – Strike and Lockout: removing an attempt to compel the union to tell workers to resume work in the event of an illegal strike
• Article 7 – Employee Rights: adding “the right to employment free of harassment and discrimination” and “the right to be treated respectfully and with dignity”
• Article 11 – Union Membership, Dues and Security: improving the information the employer provides to the union so members can be better represented
• Article 18 – Probationary Period: granting limited access to the grievance procedure for employees discharged during their probationary period

We also began discussions on your proposals to clarify work expectations and improve staffing levels. We discussed many examples of Maintenance Associates being directed to do work they are not licensed, trained, or equipped to do safely.

These concerns include pest infestations, broken front doors that can allow unwanted access and leave residents/employees struggling to gain entry, and unsafe electrical and appliances (amongst other serious matters).

As frontline workers, when Avenue Living members stand up for their own safety, they are also advocating for better living conditions for the residents living in these buildings.

We will continue these discussions as we move through the non-monetary portion of bargaining. We do not have further dates booked at this time, but we will keep you informed as we move through the bargaining process.

In solidarity,
Your Union
UFCW Local 401

Posted on: May 21,2026