Loblaw, Union in Agreement; 2 Maxi Stores to Close

MONTREAL — A four-month strike affecting some Maxi stores in Quebec appears on the verge of ending after Provigo — the division of Loblaw that runs the stores here — and the United Food and Commercial Workers union agreed in principle to a new deal. However, two of the 12 stores affected by the strike will not reopen, the retailer said.

“The financial situation of the two impacted stores was precarious prior to the work stoppage,” Loblaw said of the stores in Charlesbourg and Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, which will close in mid-April. “The company thoroughly evaluated the economic impact of the labor dispute on the long-term viability of these stores and determined that their operations could no longer be sustained.”

Maxi and UFCW Local 503 reached an agreement last week involving the other 10 stores in the dispute, with workers scheduled to vote on the new deals over the coming weeks. Loblaw last week said the strike had negatively impacted same-store sales by 1% in the fourth quarter that ended Jan. 3.

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