Grocery & Retail Archives

Save-On-Foods Bargaining Update June 2

June 3, 2023

Fighting for a Fair Contract

This week we were back to bargaining with Save-On-Foods. And while we anticipated the employer would table a low-wage offer as their first pass, our committee was extremely disappointed by how low the Save-On-Foods starting offer is.

Their offer, quite frankly, is hard to take seriously. It provides as low as 3% total increase over the term proposed and lump sums in lieu of increases, along with other proposed concessions to the existing language. All of these are unacceptable. Our Bargaining Committee has made this clear to the employer.

After the expansion Save-On-Foods has done over the last several years and with how hard our members are working for the company’s success, to see a wage offer earlier this week that was so minimal was insulting.

By the end of the week, Save-On-Foods did start to make moves in the right direction. But we have more work to do. We need your support to put the pressure on Save-On-Foods that you want a fair deal—with fair increases—NOW. One way is to keep wearing your Respect Retail Worker buttons. Another is to tell your store manager that workers need more now.

While we are concerned about how far apart we are from the employer, we do have more bargaining dates scheduled. Monday, June 5, will be focused on Pharmacy issues, and then we are back to the full table from June 21–25. We are preparing for those dates expecting to see significant moves from Save-On-Foods with respect to wage increases and structural improvements that provide a pathway to meaningful wage increases for all 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
Significant, equitable wage increases for unionized management
Significant improvements for Pharmacy Assistants and Regulated Techs
Removing barriers and wage caps for Service Clerks, Restaurant, Wine Department and Starbucks
Improved scheduling language and more ability to move between stores

In solidarity,

The Save-On-Foods Bargaining Committee:

Jaime Emerson – Abbotsford – Pharmacy Assistant
Jimbo Grant – Maple Ridge – Cross Classified
Dave Diamond – Kelowna – Cross Classified
Erica Jones – Pitt Meadows – Cross Classified
Josephine Bustin – Tsawwassen – Post-2013 Dept Manager and former Restaurant
Chris Holowka – Prince George – Cross Classified
Anita Letendre – North Van – Cross Classified
Marylou Fonda – Ft St James – Cross Classified
Joel Simmons – Nanaimo – Post-2013 Dept Manager
Katie Guerin – Kamloops – Cross Classified
David Gutierrez – Surrey – Cross Classified
Cheryl Vincenzi – Central Fill – liaison to the committee for Pharmacy discussions

UFCW 1518 Staff Negotiators – Stephen Portman and Ronda Melbourne

Sobeys Bargaining Update May 26

June 1, 2023

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.

If you know of coworkers who aren’t receiving our communications, please have them reach out to us with their full name, workplace name, employee ID, email address, and cell phone number to [email protected] or phone 1-800-661-3708.

In solidarity,

Angela Crosato, Sobeys 4908, Vancouver
Peter Dombrowski, Sobeys 4920, Surrey
Teresa-Lyne Dziedzic, Sobeys 4920, Surrey
Robert Milan, Sobeys 4960, Kelowna
Armin Reyes, Sobeys 4996 Reline Crew
Matt Rose, Sobeys 4974, Cranbrook
Marlene White, Sobeys 4977, Coquitlam
Shiela Scarr, Sobeys 4912, Langley

& UFCW 1518 Staff Negotiators:
Stephen Portman and Ronda Melbourne

IGA #11 Celebrates Wages Increases and More

May 23, 2023

After a strong show of solidarity, workers at IGA 11 in Vancouver have ratified their newest Collective Agreement, ushering in improvements that will make their life in the city more affordable and the downtown store fairer.

The agreement features wage increases over three years, including a significant boost to the starting rate that will improve recruitment and staffing. Other changes to the wage grid will see members rewarded for their dedication sooner, reaching top-rate wages after only four years. It used to take workers six years of service before they earned top-rate.

Other notable improvements include better sick time and a paid, statutory holiday for September 30, in honour of National Truth and Reconciliation Day.

This Collective Agreement is reflective of a larger movement that’s growing across BC’s grocery stores, where workers are fighting for the respect that they deserve and dignified wages. After keeping businesses running through fires, floods and a pandemic, retail workers should be rewarded for their services, and UFCW 1518 is ensuring this happens by shoring up power in workplaces and building solidarity with the public.

Find out more about our fight for retail workers at the Respect Retail Workers homepage. If you’re interested in building power at your workplace, learn more about joining a union at ufcw1518.com/join-us.

Save-On-Foods Bargaining Update May 19

May 19, 2023

Union Tables Wage Improvements and Wage-Related Proposals

After bargaining hard this week, we are pleased to share that we have tabled wage improvements and wage-related proposals with Save-On-Foods. These proposals come from the priorities that thousands of members identified in bargaining surveys we sent out last year.

The wage proposals include:

Significant wage increases for every employee
Significant wage increases for members at top rate
A shorter wage scale for employees to get to a higher top rate faster
Significant wage improvements for Pharmacy Assistants and Regulated Techs
Wage increases and overtime pay for salary Supervisors and Department Managers (and payout of the hours bank)

If you would like to learn more about the monetary proposals and other items that have been brought forward, please check out our Save-On-Foods bargaining page.

In the coming weeks, your solidarity and support will be critical in these negotiations. Our committee will continue to work through the remaining outstanding items, including the fight for consecutive days for all employees, more consistent scheduling, more ability for workers to prioritize the time they’re available to work, and respect for seniority!

Stay tuned to your email for updates and actions as we push hard for the deal that you deserve.

In solidarity,

The Save-On-Foods Bargaining Committee:

Jaime Emerson – Abbotsford – Pharmacy Assistant
Jimbo Grant  – Maple Ridge – Cross Classified
Dave Diamond – Kelowna – Cross Classified
Erica Jones  – Pitt Meadows – Cross Classified
Josephine Bustin  – Tsawwassen – Post-2013 Dept Manager and former Restaurant
Chris Holowka – Prince George – Cross Classified
Anita Letendre – North Van – Cross Classified
Marylou Fonda – Ft St James – Cross Classified
Joel Simmons – Nanaimo – Post 2013 Dept Manager
Katie Guerin – Kamloops – Cross Classified
David Gutierrez – Surrey – Cross Classified
Cheryl Vincenzi – Central Fill – liaison to the committee for Pharmacy discussions

UFCW 1518 Staff negotiators: Stephen Portman and Ronda Melbourne

Sobeys Bargaining Update May 11

May 11, 2023

Setting Our Monetary Agenda

After bargaining hard for nine days, which stretched through last weekend, your Committee made a significant move today and tabled our full monetary package to Sobeys.

This monetary package reflects the hard work that you do in your stores every day. We received thousands of responses from Sobeys members in the bargaining surveys we sent out. Overwhelmingly, the top priorities are wage improvements, so we’re setting a strong and clear agenda for our monetary conversations.

As your Bargaining Committee, we are deeply committed to doing whatever we need to get a fair deal with Sobeys. We need your unequivocal support to get the job done.

Are you a Safeway employee or a FreshCo Pharmacy member in BC? Will you show solidarity with the Bargaining Committee today by clicking on the link below? We know that UFCW 1518 members are not interested in a long, drawn-out negotiation process, and we need you to help us send that message to Sobeys.

In the coming weeks, your solidarity and support will be critical in these negotiations. Stay tuned to your email and to the Sobeys Bargaining Page for updates and actions as we push hard for the deal that you deserve.

As always, if you know of coworkers who aren’t receiving our communications, please have them reach out to us with their full name, workplace name, employee ID, email address, and cell phone number to [email protected] or phone 1-800-661-3708.

In solidarity,

& UFCW 1518 Staff Negotiators:
Stephen Portman and Ronda Melbourne

Save-On-Foods Bargaining Update May 2

May 2, 2023

Progress Report

Last week we held more bargaining discussions with Save-On-Foods. We made good progress on the non-monetary items listed and agreed to a handful of worker-friendly provisions.

Next, we plan to organize another pharmacy-focused bargaining meeting, where your committee will draw on the experience of frontline pharmacy assistants and regulated techs to improve their contract language, which is in serious need of updates. These workers do highly specialized work that not only requires specialized contract language but also wage improvements in line with their expertise and workloads, which skyrocketed during the pandemic.

Respect Retail Workers Campaign

Save-On-Foods staff deserve respect and recognition and UFCW 1518 is amplifying your voices and calling on the public to work with union members, not against them, to win the working conditions and wages you deserve through the Respect Retail Workers Campaign. Using digital ads and social media outreach, we’re spreading the word that the fight for wages is the fight for affordability, and the battle for a fairer retail industry is the battle for a fairer BC. Check out the campaign website if you haven’t already and share it on your social media!

Your UFCW 1518 representatives and bargaining committee will be visiting Save-On-Foods stores in the coming weeks — keep your eyes out, so you can ask questions and learn more about engagement opportunities and bargaining.

In solidarity,

The Save-On-Foods Bargaining Committee:

Jaime Emerson – Abbotsford – Pharmacy Assistant
Jimbo Grant  – Maple Ridge – Cross Classified
Dave Diamond – Kelowna – Cross Classified
Erica Jones  – Pitt Meadows – Cross Classified
Josephine Bustin  – Tsawwassen – Post-2013 Dept Manager and former Restaurant
Chris Holowka – Prince George – Cross Classified
Anita Letendre – North Van – Cross Classified
Marylou Fonda – Ft St James – Cross Classified
Joel Simmons – Nanaimo – Post 2013 Dept Manager
Katie Guerin – Kamloops – Cross Classified
David Gutierrez – Surrey – Cross Classified
(liaison to the committee for Pharmacy discussions) Cheryl Vincenzi – Central Fill

UFCW 1518 Staff negotiators: Stephen Portman and Ronda Melbourne

Save-On-Foods Bargaining Update April 6

April 6, 2023

Progress Report

Negotiations with Save-On-Foods continued this week. The discussions focused on improving scheduling.

We have now had 12 days of bargaining and in that time made progress in many areas. We have not yet entered monetary (wage) discussions—but we know this is a top priority.

Our members have been clear—they want an agreement that provides more work/life balance and they need wage improvements.

UFCW 1518 members have been working tirelessly, especially as Save-On-Foods has continued to grow across British Columbia. And while we recognize that growth and investment in stores is important, this growth has come with an increased workload and demand on our members. You deserve to be recognized for your hard work and contributions to your employer’s success.

As prices continue to rise, financial pressure continues to mount on many UFCW 1518 members. Reaching a new contract for you to vote on is critical—that is why we are pushing the employer to provide more dates to bargain so that we can get the job done.

As you may know, the Province of British Columbia announced a province-wide minimum wage increase to $16.75, effective June 1, 2023. This news comes at an opportune time as we can maximize its benefits for higher wages for everyone.

When our committee returns to the bargaining table, we will be focused on negotiating the wage proposals our members have said matter most to them.

In solidarity,

The Save-On-Foods Bargaining Committee:

Jaime Emerson – Abbotsford – Pharmacy Assistant
Jimbo Grant  – Maple Ridge – Cross Classified
Dave Diamond – Kelowna – Cross Classified
Erica Jones  – Pitt Meadows – Cross Classified
Josephine Bustin  – Tsawwassen – Post-2013 Dept Manager and former Restaurant
Chris Holowka – Prince George – Cross Classified
Anita Letendre – North Van – Cross Classified
Marylou Fonda – Ft St James – Cross Classified
Joel Simmons – Nanaimo – Post 2013 Dept Manager
Katie Guerin – Kamloops – Cross Classified
David Gutierrez – Surrey – Cross Classified
(liaison to the committee for Pharmacy discussions) Cheryl Vincenzi – Central Fill

UFCW 1518 Staff negotiators: Stephen Portman and Ronda Melbourne

Sobeys Bargaining Update March 10

March 10, 2023

Improving Pharmacy & Expanding Store Outreach

Between March 7 and 10, we completed another round of negotiations with Sobeys. Talks were productive, bringing us closer to completing the non-monetary phase of the bargaining process.

Special Focus – Pharmacy

Two full days of bargaining were dedicated to Pharmacy conversations. The Employer’s spokespeople for these talks included Chris Heitland, Director of Pharmacy Operations; Krystle Pitz, Director of Human Resources; and Michelle Harrison, Pharmacy District Manager.

In addition to Pharmacy Assistant Theresa-Lynn Dziedzic (Store #4920), who sits on the Union’s Bargaining Committee, we welcomed two additional pharmacy representatives to the table: Suzanne Auer, Pharmacy Assistant (FreshCo # 4256) and Irelda Mendoza – Pharmacy Assistant (Safeway 4905).

All of our Pharmacy members brought their voices, and amplified the voices and experiences of their co-workers from across the province, to assist with negotiating improvements to protections that matter most to pharmacy members.

Having a special focus on Pharmacy with representatives from the employer side and union side facilitated a thoughtful and constructive conversation that we believe led to positive tentative outcomes for Pharmacy members.

Site Visits

On March 7 and 8, those committee members who were not directly involved in the Pharmacy talks toured stores across the lower mainland. This was an opportunity for the bargaining committee to hear directly from you on bargaining priorities. We will continue doing outreach across the province, including the regions outside of the lower mainland, in the weeks ahead. Keep an eye out — we have solidarity buttons and information for anyone wants to get more informed and involved!

Moving Forward

On March 9, the Employer bargaining committees was joined by Andrew Folwell, Sobey’s Vice President of Labour Relations, who provided a high level overview of the Company’s plans and approach to future development of labour relations in BC and across the country.

We will continue negotiations next week with talks scheduled between March 13 and March 17 and will provide another update at the end of next week.

Updates on bargaining and other information can be found on our bargaining information hub.

Check your in-store Union Board for updates and a scannable QR code that will also take you to the information hub.Want to tell us why Bargaining at Safeway matters to you and have your quote featured on the information hub and social media? Send it to [email protected].

Please take a minute to share this email with your co-workers. If they are not receiving emails from the union, they can reach out to update their information by sending their name, email and store number to [email protected].

In solidarity,

& UFCW 1518 Staff Negotiators:
Stephen Portman and Ronda Melbourne

Save-On-Foods Bargaining Update Feb. 17

February 17, 2023

Progress Report

We write to update you on our most recent round of bargaining dates, which happened this past week with your Bargaining Committee on February 14 and 16.

Our focus is still on non-monetary issues, including language clarification, scheduling proposals, transferability (movement between locations) and preliminary discussions on unionized-management structure. We have made good progress to date and our focus on the items we have agreed to and those we are still working on is to make the language clearer and worker friendly.

We’ll continue to push for more non-monetary improvements when we return to the bargaining table, based on the feedback that members provided in the bargaining surveys, focus groups and conversations with us.

Your Union is committed to renewing your collective agreement as quickly as possible. The earliest next dates we were able to secure are March 21 – 23 and we are awaiting confirmation from the employer on several more dates that we are available. We will continue to keep you updated as bargaining progresses and more dates are confirmed, the contract expires March 31 2023, but the current terms will stay in effect while we continue negotiating.

As mentioned in our last bargaining update, we need each and every member to be a part of this process. Updates on bargaining and other information can be found on our bargaining information hub.

Want to tell us why Bargaining at Save-On matters to you and have your quote featured on the information hub and social media? Send it to [email protected]

Please take a minute to share this email with your co-workers and if they are not receiving emails from the union, they can reach out to update their information by sending there name, email and store number to [email protected]

In Solidarity,

The Save-On-Foods Bargaining Committee

Jaime Emerson – Abbotsford – Pharmacy Assistant

Jimbo Grant – Maple Ridge – Cross Classified

Dave Diamond – Kelowna – Cross Classified

Erica Jones – Pitt Meadows – Cross Classified

Josephine Bustin – Tsawwassen – Post-2013 Dept Manager and former Restaurant

Chris Holowka – Prince George – Cross Classified

Anita Letendre – North Van – Cross Classified

Marylou Fonda – Ft St James – Cross Classified

Joel Simmons – Nanaimo – Post 2013 Dept Manager

Katie Guerin – Kamloops – Cross Classified

David Gutierrez – Surrey – Cross Classified

(liaison to the committee for Pharmacy discussions) Cheryl Vincenzi – Central Fill

UFCW 1518 Staff negotiators: Stephen Portman and Ronda Melbourne