B.C. Superstore Workers Accept Contract Offer from Loblaw

B.C. Superstore employees have ratified a new deal with parent company Loblaw.

About 10,000 retail grocery and warehouse workers who are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 247 voted 58 per cent in favour of the latest offer, averting a strike.

Dan Goodman, president of the UFCW local said was a difficult decision for many members. “Our members were told that their union would support their decision no matter what the outcome of this vote would be,” said Goodman. “That support will continue and will increase as we implement and enforce their new collective agreement with Loblaw.”

The union rejected an earlier offer in April, voting 97 per cent in favour of strike action. Loblaw came back with a contract offering bigger wage increases for long-term, senior employees; a unified wage scale that benefits about a two-thirds of the employees; scheduling improvements for part-time workers; night-shift premiums; a commitment to create 112 full-time positions; signing bonuses for all employees; and improvements on other contract issues.

UFCW Local 247 represents workers in food production, warehousing and retail across the province; UFCW Canada has 250,000 members across Canada.