Teamsters Local Union 987 members accept Loblaw’s offer

CALGARY — Teamsters Local Union 987 (Teamsters 987) members have accepted an offer from Loblaw Companies (Loblaw) hours before being locked out of their Calgary Freeport Facility on November 25. In total 534 Teamsters members had been laid off in the affected Loblaw distribution centre as the employer prepared for a lockout.

Sixty-six per cent of voting members accepted the company’s final offer.

The previous agreement expired on June 6, 2022.

Teamsters Local Union 987 of Alberta is a group of more than 5,000 workers from over 13 industries and 40 collective agreements.

The union had been in contract negotiations with the grocery and drugstore retailer since their previous agreement expired on June 6.

In a recent interview with CBC News, Teamsters 987 business agent John Taylor said that Loblaw would not discuss anything that did not include wages.

“A portion of the distribution centre workers who earn hourly wages are not only struggling with earning less than the acceptable living wage for Calgary of $22.40, but they are also now facing layoffs,” said Taylor at the time.

He added that there had been issues regarding consecutive days off and rules and regulations surrounding working conditions that the union brought up, but that were not addressed by the company.