The United Food & Commercial Workers union says workers have ratified a collective agreement with Loblaw Cos. Ltd. covering almost 26,000 grocery store workers across Ontario. A Loblaws employee brings in shopping carts in Toronto on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Nearly 26,000 grocery store employees working for Loblaw Cos Ltd, across Ontario, have approved a collective agreement with the United Food & Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). The deal, covering 121 stores under various Loblaw banners, such as Loblaw Great Food, Real Canadian Superstore, and Zehrs Great Food, is hailed as historic and industry-leading by the union.
The agreement, negotiated by two UFCW locals, entails a substantial $4.60 per hour raise over a span of five years for full-time workers. Notably, the deal also safeguards the wage gains of both full-time and part-time members in light of minimum wage hikes.
This accord marks another in a series of collective agreements that have seen grocery store workers make significant strides at the negotiation table, responding to the challenges posed by the pandemic and inflation. Wayne Hanley, president of UFCW 1006A, acknowledges the intensity and difficulty of the negotiations but asserts that the resulting deal is the most favorable in decades.
