A FreshCo store is seen in this file photo. (HANDOUT)
WINNIPEG — Employees at Manitoba Safeway and FreshCo stores have voted more than 98 percent in favour of a strike mandate.
The employees, represented by UFCW Local 832, voted over the weekend to fight for better working conditions.
“Over this pandemic, we have an employer who has made a huge profit and employees who have worked very hard to ensure Manitobans have access to essentials despite increasing risks and stress,” says Jeff Traeger, UFCW 832 president and lead negotiator.
“Sobeys Capital Incorporated has consistently called its employees heroes, but it’s time for them to move beyond words and show their gratitude in a more meaningful way.”
The two sides have been at the bargaining table since late last year, but UFCW Local 832 says they feel Sobeys (which owns Safeway and FreshCo) isn’t taking them seriously.
The current contract for Safeway and FreshCo expires on March 19, 2022. However, the union and employer are scheduled to resume bargaining on Tuesday.
Approximately 2,000 workers at both stores are represented by the union in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson, Neepawa and Dauphin.
