Fighting for a Fair Contract

This week we were back to bargaining with Sobeys. As we expected, the employer tabled their initial wage package. The committee is extremely disappointed that the employer has come in as low as they have with their first pass—including increases of less than 1% a year. In some years, many members were only offered lump sums by the employer. This employer position is unacceptable. We need to see a substantial improvement from Sobeys in the form of wages to bring an agreement back to our members. 

At this point, we are concerned about how far apart we are from the employer. However, we do have more bargaining dates booked on Monday, June 19 and Tuesday, June 20. We are preparing for those dates expecting to see significant moves from Sobeys with respect to wage increases and structural improvements that provide a pathway to meaningful wage increases for all of our members. 

Here is a recap of our members’ priorities in this round of bargaining:  

• Wage increases for ALL members including those at top rate and higher  
• Provisions for more members to become full-time
• Significant, equitable wage increases for unionized management 
• Significant improvements for Pharmacy Assistants and Regulated Techs
• Removing barriers for Service Clerks and Starbucks members who are currently capped 
• Improved scheduling language and more ability to move between stores 

To show your support for a fair deal, wear a Respect Retail Workers button to your shifts. The next time you see your UFCW 1518 rep in stores, tell them that you support your Bargaining Committee! We will be sending more buttons to your store soon if you don’t already have one.