Union Says Loblaws Workers Feel Betrayed By Cancellation Of Wage Increase
HALIFAX – The President on Unifor, which represents 7,000 Loblaws employees across Canada says strike action is possible after the grocery giant suddenly canceled the bonus wage workers received during the pandemic.
“[Our members are] furious and legitimately and justifiably so,” said Unifor president Jerry Dias in an interview. “They feel betrayed; these are workers who put their lives at risk to serve their communities.”
“It could absolutely lead to strike action.”
Late last week, Loblaws, the parent company of Atlantic Superstore and Dominion, announced the extra $2 an hour pay would cease, replaced by a one-time $160 payout.
Dias claims Unifor was not consulted about the decision to end the pandemic pay, and they were only notified on Thursday, one day before the announcement was made.
UFCW, the other union that represents Loblaws employees, didn’t respond to a request for an interview and neither did Loblaws. In a newsletter sent out to customers last week, company chairman Galen Weston explained why Loblaws cancelled the pandemic pay, claiming that things have “stabilized” in the working environment.
“As the economy slowly reopens and Canadians begin to return to work, we believe it is the right time to end the temporary pay premium we introduced at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Weston. “Things have now stabilized in our supermarkets and drug stores. After extending the premium multiple times, we are confident our colleagues are operating safely and effectively in a new normal.”
Dias calls such an argument for cancelling the bonus wages “insulting.”
“Everything’s not comfortable. For them to somehow say on a Thursday that the Pandemic is over on a Friday is irresponsible and, frankly, just not truthful,” he said.
“We know today who the essential people are in our economy. It’s not the stockbrokers, it’s not the bankers… it’s the workers.”
The Unifor president also said there is no economic argument for Loblaws to cancel the pay increase. Dias claims Loblaws has been making plenty of profit during the pandemic.
“Loblaws made over $1-billion in profit in 2019 and their profits so far in 2020… is up 21 percent from the same time last year. So, they are making money hand-over-fist.”