Second unit to be represented by union in Ontario
More than 100 Sobeys workers in Kincardine, Ont. have voted to join Unifor.
Workers at the supermarket — located about two hours northeast of Toronto — are one of only two groups of unionized store employees under the Sobeys banner in Ontario. The new bargaining unit includes full-time and part-time workers, as well as students, according to the union.
"These workers understand that with a national union like Unifor to represent them in bargaining, they are best-placed to establish fairness and respect in the workplace," said Jenny Ahn, assistant to the national secretary-treasurer
The Sobeys supermarket chain — owned by Nova-Scotia based Empire Company — is Canada's third-largest grocery retailer, generating more than $6 billion in food sales last year, according to the union.
Unlike its primary competitors (Metro and Loblaws), the Sobeys supermarket chain is largely non-unionized – particularly in Ontario, according to the union.
Since its formation in 2013, Unifor said it has negotiated pay models for part-time workers and language that stabilizes erratic work schedules for retail workers in the province.
"There are important sectoral issues that all retail workers face, and Unifor is looking forward to bringing innovative ideas to the bargaining table as we prepare to negotiate the first contract," said Unifor Retail and Wholesale Industry Director, Keith Osborne.
Unifor currently represents workers at the Sobeys' distribution centre in Whitby, Freshco workers in London (a sister chain to Sobeys), as well as Sobeys' stores in Port Hawkesbury and Sydney, Nova Scotia, according to the union.
