Seniority is No Joke

Seniority is no joke. It ensures that workers are treated fairly, according to their experience and years of service, and ensures they are fairly compensated.

The VDLC is standing with United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 1518, in standing up for their members’ seniority at Safeway (Sobeys). Please visit send a message to Sobeys CEO Michael Medline and call on him to respect Safeway workers.

Click HERE to get more information, and send a message. 

The following recommendation in support of the campaign was adopted at the April 2019 regular meeting of the VDLC:

Subject: Seniority is No Joke

BECAUSE in January of 2018 negotiations for the re opener of the Safeway collective agreement began. From the beginning Sobeys has been clear that their only interest is in concessionary demands; and

BECAUSE after months of fruitless meetings negotiations reached an impasse and the Minister of Labour appointed Vince Ready as a Special Officer under Section 106 of the BC Labour Code. In December of 2018 Special Officer Ready handed down his final decision of the Safeway/Sobeys re-opener which contained a number of concessions; and

BECAUSE this decision included a requirement for Sobeys to offer a buyout to senior employees. These “bought” hours may be used at the company’s discretion. Many Safeway members have accepted this offer; and

BECAUSE Sobeys has made it clear that they intend to use these hours without respect to seniority. Long service Safeway members, who have given their lives to the company and continue to work hard day after day to keep it going will face cuts to their hours and benefits as a result of this,

THE VANCOUVER AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL WILL write to Sobeys President Michael Medline to call on him to protect the hours and benefits of Safeway’s long service employees; and

THE VANCOUVER AND DISTRICT LABOUR COUNCIL WILL urge affiliates to support UFCW 1518 members at Safeway through their “Seniority is No Joke” Campaign to send messages to Medline and Sobeys.