Two-Hour Shifts?!?
Overwaitea Proposal Angers Members

Most union members who work at Overwaitea stores would like to see more hours, better wages, and more stability in the hours and shifts they work in their store.

Overwaitea senior management has a different view of the world. At the time this edition of Update was going to press, Overwaitea still had their demand for two-hours shifts on the table. Right now, because union members are protected by the contract, Overwaitea management cannot schedule two-hour shifts, much as they would like to.

To no one’s surprise, union members did not take this lightly.

“The union’s members are making it clear they are not happy with what the company put forward,” says Ivan Limpright, President of UFCW 1518. “The members view the two-hour shift proposal as just one more example of how uncaring this company can be,” he said. “We’re already seeing how the company has not been scheduling properly.”

“The members view the two-hour shift proposal as just one more example of how uncaring this company can be.”

A representative for Overwaitea says that the 2-hour shifts would be scheduled to assist the company with service during ‘peak hours’ and ‘peak times’ for the company. But the reality is, 2-hour shifts do nothing for union members.

We have already seen the company abuse this language when it was in the contract years ago for stores that closed at 6:00 pm. Instead of making life easier for students to gain more shifts, students were being scheduled 5:00am-7:00am for shifts before school starts.

“Our goal in bargaining is to make improvements in wages, benefits and working conditions for all our members,” says Limpright. “We will not consider any of the company’s demands for roll-backs.”

Hours slashed, workloads heavier; frustration grows

Union members at both Overwaitea and Safeway reported in March that hundreds of hours were being slashed off store schedules, and management at both companies once again played the old game of pressuring union members to speed up and work faster.

“We heard from union members across the province about the massive cutbacks taking place in the stores, and this is something we see too often during negotiations for a new contract,” says Ivan Limpright, President of UFCW 1518. “The hours cutbacks are bad enough for members who can’t earn enough as it is, and management makes the problem worse by harassing those members remaining in the stores to speed up.”

“This is not only wrong on the part of management, it can be dangerous for those members who are more vulnerable to pressure from management,” he says. “It’s a well-established fact that these kinds of speed-ups are exactly the kinds of circumstances that lead to more injuries on the job. Remember, you owe your employer nothing more than working to the best of your ability.”

The union recently won a grievance on behalf of five members working on a night crew when their store manager improperly punished them for not meeting the manager’s “piece count”, a direct violation of the contract.

“Please be aware of your rights and do not put yourself at risk of injury just because management is getting pushier than usual,” says Limpright. “Members who believe they are being harassed or improperly treated should contact their Shop Steward or Union Representative immediately.”

Two-Hour Shifts?!? Overwaitea Proposal Angers Members

Hours slashed, workloads heavier; frustration grows

Two-Hour Shifts?!?
Overwaitea Proposal Angers Members