Last week, we sat down with UFCW 1518 and the Safeway bargaining committee, eager to work collaboratively to begin bargaining for a new collective agreement. There’s a lot for us to discuss over the coming weeks and we’re here to listen.

Its been quite some time since we last bargained in 2018, and a lot has changed in our store network and across our province since then. We’ve come a long way and made some positive changes to the business.

• We opened new stores in Austin Heights, Arbutus and Davie Street.
• We remodeled many stores including West Broadway and Fort St. John, to name a few.
• We introduced Voila in-store fulfillment as a new offering for our customers to help drive sales.
• We converted 16 Safeway stores to FreshCo stores, and though this was difficult for many teammates, it helped us attract new customers by providing the store format and shopping options they may have been going to our competitors for.

Now more than ever, we need to prepare ourselves for the future. In the coming years, we’ll face many challenges with the uncertain economy, the extremely competitive grocery industry, and evolving customer needs and wants.

Reaching an agreement that balances the needs and goals of our teammates, and the operational and competitive requirements of our stores will help set us up for success.

Our focus at the table will be on investing in our valued Safeway teammates, modernizing the collective agreement, and addressing areas of competitive disadvantage. We want to support the future growth of the Safeway banner in B.C. for years to come.

We know that many of the conversations over the next few months will impact you and your families. That’s why its important to us that you stay informed. We’ll keep you updated on SafewayTalks.ca as bargaining continues.