As we head back to the bargaining table next week, it’s important to us that we remain connected with you, so you have a clear understanding of what we are trying to achieve. Times are challenging, but we are committed to the collective bargaining process and securing a strong future for Safeway in Alberta.

Last week, we presented an offer to UFCW 401 that they have decided to take to their membership for survey. This survey fails to mention the important background information that our offer is based on. Here are some facts you need to know:

• More than half of our Safeway stores in Alberta are struggling financially.  Alberta was facing financial challenges before COVID-19 and they will continue or even worsen after COVID-19. The temporary sales spike during this pandemic is not enough to fix the financial challenges that faced the Province before the pandemic, and it is not enough to help us through the next wave of financial hardship in Alberta.

• To help UFCW 401 understand our challenges, we want to share store financials with union leadership but UFCW 401 refuses to agree to protect this competitive information. In doing so, they refuse to acknowledge the financial challenges faced by so many of our Alberta Safeway stores.

• Even in the face of financial uncertainty, we are still focused on securing a strong future for our Alberta stores by investing significantly in the Safeway banner and introducing our much-needed Discount banner, FreshCo in the right communities. We can only continue to invest in the Safeway banner if we achieve a competitive agreement.

• Our competitors have significant advantages in their agreements. We are not asking for anything that is not already standard in the Alberta retail environment. Without a competitive offer, we cannot close these gaps and our stores will continue to suffer.

We need a fair agreement that balances the need to serve customers with the Discount format they want, while making sure our teammates are rewarded appropriately for their hard work.

We want to compete, we want to invest, we want to continue to grow. To do so, we must have a competitive collective agreement that allows for long term success.

Please reach out to your store manager if you have questions. We will continue to post updates on Safeway Talks.