Be a part of building Safeway’s Future

Congratulations to our teammates accepted in the 2022/2023 Nourish U Program

Posted on November 4, 2022 by Daniela Travierso

At Safeway, we’re committed to helping our teammates be the best that they can be. We’re here to support each of you in taking risks, striving for greatness, and chasing after your career dreams. Because your success is OUR success.

One of the ways we can help you advance your career is through the Nourish U Management Training Program. Nourish U is our leadership development program for corporate Store Manager (SMT) and Department Manager (DMT) training. It’s the very best opportunity to immerse yourself in our operations, get to know our teammates, and understand our products. But Nourish U is more than just an education tool — it’s the engine that kick starts our culture, brings together our brightest minds, and establishes a foundation for every successful career at Safeway.

With that said, it’s our absolute pleasure to congratulate the following 31 Alberta Safeway teammates who’ve been accepted in the 2022/2023 Nourish U Program. You should feel incredibly proud for being selected. And for investing in yourself.

We’re all rooting for you — and know you have what it takes to be successful. We couldn’t be prouder to have you part of the Safeway family!

From left to right: Amber-Lee Karnitsky from Safeway Wetaskiwin and Sharene De Vries from Safeway Leduc ready for their Store Manager and Department Manager training respectively.

Celebrating the successful acceptance of Nathan Eveneshen (DMT) and Kelly Falk (SMT) from Safeway Leduc.

A big congrats to Maxwell Adams (pictured left) from Safeway Windermere, Patrick Macleod (pictured right) from Safeway Leduc, and Ted Krukewich (pictured below) from Safeway Hinton for their acceptance in the DMT program.

If you’re interested in applying for an upcoming Nourish U Program cohort, visit the Nourish U tile in the People Portal for more information, or speak to your manager who’s always available to help.

Stay tuned for a Safeway Talks story soon celebrating our 2021/2022 graduates.

Congratulations to our teammates accepted in the 2022/2023 Nourish U Program

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Daniela Travierso

With that said, it’s our absolute pleasure to congratulate the following 18 B.C. Safeway teammates who’ve been accepted in the 2022/2023 Nourish U Program. You should feel incredibly proud for being selected. And for investing in yourself.

We’re all rooting for you — and know you have what it takes to be successful. We couldn’t be prouder to have you part of the Safeway family!

Shayne Schirp from Safeway Nelson (pictured above), Joanna Olsen from Safeway Lynn Valley (left picture below), and Caitlin Van Andel from Safeway Ocean Park (right picture below) proudly showing off their DMT acceptance letters!

Blake Markin-Hellekson from Safeway Penticton ready to start his Store Manager training!

Stay tuned for a Safeway Talks story soon celebrating our 2021/2022 graduates.

Have you entered the Safeway Talks Gift Card Giveaway?

Posted on October 20, 2022 by Daniela Travierso

Thank you for being part of the Safeway Talks community.

Safeway Talks is a great way to stay up to date on all things Safeway, from success stories and community events to new initiatives, and more.

If you haven’t entered the contest yet, there’s still time! You only need to enter once to be eligible to win.

By October 30, click here to enter for your shot at winning a $100 Sobeys Inc. gift card.

50 lucky Safeway teammates will be randomly selected, and their Sobeys Inc. gift card will be sent directly to them.

Good luck!

Introducing Togetherall — a new support resource available to Safeway teammates!

Posted on February 1, 2022 by Daniela Travierso

We’re incredibly proud to share that a new support resource is available for all Safeway teammates. Togetherall offers teammates a confidential, online mental health peer support community that is available 24/7. This new resource is available to all Safeway teammates at no cost, regardless of employment status.

On Togetherall you’ll find courses specific to your concerns and learn techniques to help manage your mental health. There are numerous tools, self-assessments and articles to help you understand how you’re feeling in addition to tracking your progress. The community is where you can get (or give) the mental health support needed and is monitored by clinical professionals.

Mental health is more than the absence of disease, it includes wellbeing, self-care and managing the daily struggles we all face to keep ourselves mentally well. Mental health concerns can affect anyone. Click here to join Togetherall today!

Kicking off bargaining with UFCW 832

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Sudhanshu Rewari

Last week, Safeway, UFCW 832 and UFCW 832’s Bargaining Committee began bargaining for a new collective agreement. It’s 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.

Safeway is at the table eager to work collaboratively with UFCW 832 and the bargaining committee. We are committed to the bargaining process. We know we share the same goal – to come to a fair and competitive agreement that will balance the needs and aspirations of our teammates, and the operational and competitive requirements of our stores. We want to continue building on the exciting growth we’ve seen in the Safeway banner in Manitoba for years to come.

There’s a lot for us to discuss with UFCW 832 over the coming weeks. We will focus on our incredible Safeway teammates as our top priority. While there may be references to FreshCo in our collective bargaining, those stores are managed independently by their Franchise Operators. The focus of our negotiations is Manitoba Safeway stores and the necessary steps to ensure a profitable future with long-term career opportunities for those Manitoba Safeway stores.

We know that many of the conversations over the next few months will impact you and your families. You’re at the heart of our stores across Manitoba and it’s no secret just how critical your work has been to serving our local communities with pride. We encourage you to stay informed on bargaining progress by speaking with members of the UFCW 832 Bargaining Committee or connecting with your Store Manager if you have questions about how negotiations may impact your day-to-day work.

We’re back at the table in January and will continue to keep you updated as bargaining continues. If we work together, we’re hopeful that we can reach a fair agreement before the expiry of our current contract this March.

Keeping you safe is just as important as ever

Posted on December 15, 2020 by Sudhanshu Rewari

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have worked quickly and efficiently to introduce several new health, safety and security measures to help protect our teammates and customers. Measures like plexiglass shields, social distancing floor markers and personal protective equipment are just a few of the ways that we’re keeping our teammates and our stores safe. We’re also asking customers to follow all Public Health guidelines and refrain from entering our stores if they’re experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. We’re also encouraging all to wear a mask while shopping. If a customer arrives at our stores without a mask, we will offer them one. In accordance with Public Health orders and bylaws, we do not ask our teammates to enforce customer mask-wearing. Instead, we will continue to remind and educate our customers about the requirement.

Our guiding principle from the very start of the pandemic has been to follow the trusted guidance of Public Health, and we will continue to provide our frontline teammates with all of the support and training necessary to safely uphold this commitment in our stores. If you have any questions or concerns about the protocols in your store or find yourself in an uncomfortable situation with a customer, please contact your Store Manager who will provide immediate assistance.

While the pandemic continues to evolve differently in communities across Alberta, and as the provincial government announces tighter restrictions on businesses that can remain open, it’s just as important as ever that we maintain the standards that we have worked so hard to achieve. Your safety is incredibly important to us, and our customers have told us loud and clear just how much they appreciate your hard work in keeping our stores safe. Each day, you go above and beyond to serve Alberta families with courage, dedication and pride, and we couldn’t be prouder.

If you find yourself in need of support, please remember that the Employee Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is here to help. The EFAP provides the tools to support overall mental health and well-being through our EFAP provider, Morneau Sheppell. You have free access to:

Telephone, video & e-counselling
Online group counselling
Online tools and resources

For access to EFAP resources, visit the Morneau Shepell site at www.workhealthlife.com, call their toll-free number (1-844-880-9142) or speak to your Store Manager.

We’ve worked together and come so far this year – let’s continue to stand side-by-side to ensure our stores remain the safest place for our teammates to work and our customers to shop.

The ratification vote is soon, make your voice heard

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Sudhanshu Rewari

As you know, the Company and UFCW 401 ended negotiations this past Wednesday, seeking recommendations from

In the coming days, UFCW 401 has asked you to participate in a ratification vote to decide on the Government Appointed Mediator’s recommendations.

We thank you for your continued patience. Though this process was challenging and at times difficult, we believe that the recommendations are the best opportunity to avoid a labour dispute. They allow us to move forward and focus on our collective future.

It is important you vote. Key decisions about your job are at stake and voting is how you can make your voice heard. By not voting, you are allowing others to make these key decisions for you.

We hope you feel you have the information you need to make an informed decision. Please take a moment to review the meeting notifications posted by the Union to know when and where to vote.

Please don’t hesitate to speak to your store manager if you have any questions on the process.

A Path Forward: Recommendations to be accepted

Posted on July 20, 2020 by Sudhanshu Rewari

As you know, the Company and UFCW 401 ended negotiations this past Wednesday, seeking recommendations from the government appointment mediator.

On Monday, July 20 we received these recommendations from the mediator and carefully evaluated them. While some are not perfectly aligned with the Company’s objectives, we are satisfied that, as a whole, we can work with them to achieve labour stability for the next five years.

The Union will take these to their membership for a ratification vote. Please stay up to date with any upcoming meetings as once again you will be called upon to exercise your right to vote on this matter. It is important you show up and not leave this decision in the hands of others. Your future should be your decision.

We thank you for your continued commitment to one another and our customers. Even in the face of these challenging times, you still ensured our stores were a safe and welcoming place to shop and work. We look forward for continuing to move forward with this unstoppable team.

An update on July collective bargaining

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Sudhanshu Rewari

As you know we returned to collective bargaining with UFCW 401 this past Monday. As of today, both the Company and the Union have ended negotiations asking our Government Appointed Mediator to provide recommendations on issues that are still outstanding. We feel this is a promising step in coming to a collective agreement that makes sense for both parties.

On Monday (July 20), the Government Appointed Mediator will provide both parties the recommendations and they will have chance to review and decide if they will be accepted. If all gets accepted, UFCW 401 will look to schedule a ratification vote. Please watch for communications on next steps. Our commitment to finding a fair agreement that allows us to build a more competitive future together has not changed and we thank you for your continued patience throughout this process.

We will share updates as they become available. Please speak to your Store Manager if you have any questions.

Post-vote update: Where are we now?

Posted on July 3, 2020 by Sudhanshu Rewari

Thank you for continuing to support one another and upholding our commitment to customers through what we know has been a challenging time. Transparency is just as important as ever, and we want to provide you with an update on where we stand in the negotiation process.

On Monday, UFCW 401 confirmed a positive strike vote. Forty four percent of eligible employees participated in the vote. This means that the Union received the votes needed to begin the legally-required 72-hour notice period ahead of a strike. As a result, we have taken the similar, legally-required step necessary to ensure that should the Union enact a strike, we will be in a position to issue a lockout notice.

While both the Company and UFCW 401 have taken action to prepare for a potential labour disruption, both parties have expressed an interest in working together towards an agreed upon settlement. However, we are still concerned by the Union’s decision to end mediation and take a strike vote. These actions have made it increasingly more difficult to work towards this shared goal. Despite these concerns, Safeway’s bargaining team is ready to meet with the Union and resume bargaining as early as mid-July.

Our commitment to you and the future of Safeway in Alberta has not changed, and in order for us to reach a competitive collective agreement, the Union and its bargaining committee must acknowledge Alberta’s troubling economic climate and the need to set Safeway up for long term growth. The next few years are critical to our shared success and we will continue to standby our unwavering commitment to building a strong future for all of us.

We will continue to examine our options and will always provide accurate updates as they become available.