Loblaw employees reach tentative deal; strike averted

Thousands of grocery workers have tentatively reached a deal with Canadian retailer Loblaw, avoiding a strike, reports The Winnipeg Free Press.

The current contract for the workers expired at 12 a.m. on Friday. After seeing record profits from Loblaw this year, employees representing Canadian Superstore, No Frills, and Extra Foods in Manitoba, all owned by Loblaw, wanted additional compensation and better working conditions.  

UFCW Local 832, which represents the nearly 4,000 workers, said 97% of them voted to authorize a strike.

“Though we can’t discuss specifics at this time, I can say that I’m proud of the work our committee has done on behalf of all (workers),” Jeff Traeger, president and lead negotiator for UFCW 832, said in a statement. “In this tentative agreement, we’ve achieved recognition for the work our members did during the (COVID-19) pandemic and have achieved gains for all workers.”

Loblaw did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication of this story.