What leadership challenges keep you up at night? That was one of the questions President Kim Novak fielded as part of an invited panel at the Canadian Industrial Relations Association’s conference, held at the University of British Columbia last week. The panel, titled Unions, Leadership, Millennials: the Future of the Labour Movement, featured prominent BC labour leaders, including President Novak, Sussanne Skidmore, Secretary-Treasurer of the BC Federation of Labour ...read more 

UFCW  1518’s Executive Board unanimously passed a motion to support the Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) in their campaign to have a national reconciliation framework passed into law. Cree MP Romeo Saganash introduced Bill C262 to the Senate in an attempt to bring Canadian laws in line with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples , and last year it passed the third reading. This ...read more 

Today Sobeys announced that six more Safeway stores in smaller BC communities will convert to Frescho, the company’s discount banner. “This announcement was made earlier this morning to our members in the six locations throughout BC. We have reached out to the employer to discuss how we can mitigate the impact on our members, particularly in communities where there are no other Safeway stores to transfer into,” said President ...read more 

Today UFCW 1518 celebrated the inauguration of “Salmon Arrows,” a newly installed mural at the union’s headquarters in New Westminster. Commissioned in early 2019, the mural serves as an acknowledgement that the building is located on the unceded territory of the Qayqayt First Nation. “We are delighted to present this project to our members and the city of New Westminster,” said President Kim Novak. “Through this artwork, we acknowledge ...read more 

About 35 workers at River’s Reach Pub voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining UFCW 1518 last month. A neighbourhood pub in New Westminster, River’s Reach has been serving up burgers and beer since 2000. “For these workers, bringing in the union was about fairness and respect. They got in touch with us because they knew we could help,” said Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Johnson. The hospitality industry is notoriously precarious and ...read more