More than 1,200 No Frills workers could go on strike in Ontario next week

More than 1,200 Unifor members employed at Loblaw-owned No Frills stores could be on strike as of Monday, the union said in a statement released Thursday.

“Loblaw must come to the table prepared to raise wages, improve working conditions, and create more full-time jobs for these grocery store workers. They deserve decent work and pay. It’s as simple as that,” Lana Payne, Unifor National President, said in the statement. “Every single financial quarter Loblaw posts higher profits than the last. It’s past time the workers helping them earn these profits get a share so they can support their own families.”

According to Unifor, the corporation refuses to address pay demands and working conditions amid a Canadian affordability crisis.

Unifor recently ratified a new collective agreement with Metro workers, ending a five-week long strike that began in July. The agreement included an immediate $1.50 an hour raise, enhanced benefits and pensions, better scheduling, and job protection from the implementation of self-checkouts, the union said.

That agreement is similar to what No Frills workers are demanding.

“Loblaw workers are fed up with the out-of-control disparity between their wages, the company’s enormous profits, and high cost of living. Workers are prepared to take necessary action to support themselves and their families during these challenging times,” Gord Currie, Unifor Local 414 President, said in the release.

“You know it’s bad when workers at Canada’s largest grocery store chain are struggling to afford their own food, even at discount stores like No Frills. It’s ultimately up to Loblaw to avert a strike and do the right thing to support its workers and customers.”

Within its release, Unifor highlighted that Loblaws reported a $621 million profit in its third quarter – a nearly 12 per cent increase over the last.

“While Loblaw continues to make enormous profits, many Canadians, including its own workers, are increasingly using food banks,” Payne continued.

Grocery store chains have found themselves under fire as food prices and living costs have skyrocketed over the past year or so. The industry has maintained that its profit margins are in fact slim, but the federal government has asked grocery retailers to do more to ensure that food remains affordable.