Category: Alberta

We’ve been back at the bargaining table with UFCW 401 this week. As always, we’re committed to being open and honest with you and want to ensure that you’re updated every step of the way. We know that progress to date has sometimes felt slow and challenging, but we’re hopeful that this week’s discussions are an encouraging sign of increasing momentum to continue.

As we’ve shared before, it’s our current intention to invest $200 million in the Safeway network over the next five years. However, we cannot accomplish this if we do not have the right collective agreement in place to provide stability for our business. We need stability through a number of factors to invest the money. The FreshCo expansion plans are not included in the $200 million investment. Both parties have recognized that these discussions will be difficult, and have agreed to the use of a mediator commencing this April. Together, we’re committed to coming to a fair agreement in a timely manner that is in all of our best interest.

Whether you’re a long-time Alberta native or new to the province, there’s no denying that we’ve seen incredible change. Our communities are changing, our customers are changing, and our economy is changing. And it will continue to change. This is why – now more than ever – it’s absolutely crucial that we come to a competitive agreement that is in all of our best interest.

We’ve been open in sharing that some of our Safeway stores are struggling as the retail market in Alberta continues to change. We’re seeing more cost-conscious customers who aren’t interested in our full-service Safeway model, no matter how hard you continue to work or the unparalleled customer service you provide. Cost conscious shoppers are looking for the option that best suits their needs and without a viable discount option, customers will continue to shop elsewhere. We know that it’s important to put the right stores in the right market and opening FreshCo stores will help us move in the right direction.  However, FreshCo does not solve all of the issues that many Safeway stores are facing. The majority of Safeway stores are not converting to FreshCo, but without a change, will continue to struggle against our competition. This is why we must have a competitive deal for Safeway to survive in Alberta. We will continue to be faced with a significant competitive disadvantage until a fair agreement is reached.

There’s so many exciting opportunities that await us in the year ahead, and we’re hopeful that we can work with your Union and your Bargaining Committee to reach a fair collective agreement that balances all of our needs. Thank you for your continued hard work in our stores. Our true Safeway pride is alive and well in Alberta.

It’s no secret that our teams are deeply invested in our local communities year-round, but this holiday season, you showed us just how strong our Safeway heart really is. Thank you to our incredible teams across Alberta for their meaningful participation in this year’s Random Acts of Kindness initiative. With every single thoughtful donation, you made a lasting impact on those deserving and most in need. We are so proud to be on your team.

A special thank you to those who shared their Random Acts of Kindness on our closed Facebook group, Safeway Team: Connecting Our Stores, Our People, Our Communities. As a family nurturing families, we are committed to supporting and giving back to the communities we serve. Individually, our contributions make a difference, but as a team, the possibilities are endless! ​

Check out just a few of our outstanding donations below, and don’t forget to join our Facebook group to stay up to date!

Safeway Fort Saskatchewan – Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Safeway Kensington – Calgary, AB

Safeway Odgen – Calgary, AB

Safeway Beddington Square – Calgary, AB

Safeway Chestermere Station – Chestermere, AB

Safeway Fairway Plaza – Lethbridge, AB

For 90 years, Safeway has invested in the communities across Western Canada where we proudly live, work and play. While our commitment to giving back has always been rooted in our core company values, it goes without saying that our outstanding employees are the driving force behind our commitment to community service. Whether it’s through the donation of time, effort or money, our team members take pride in serving their communities, and when Safeway employees join forces for a shared cause, the impact is truly incredible.

The Safeway Operations and Community Investment teams proudly presented the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation with a donation of $176,862 on behalf of our Safeway retail employees and the Employee Payroll Donation program. By generously donating a small portion of every pay cheque, Safeway teammates give back to the causes most important in their communities. Over the past five years, through the continuous generosity of Safeway employees, close to $1.1 million has been donated to the Alberta Children’s Hospital alone. Truly an incredible, inspiring effort – way to go, team!

The Alberta Children’s Hospital cares for children aged newborn to 17 from across Alberta, southeastern British Columbia and southwestern Saskatchewan. One of the hospital’s particular areas of focus is children with cancer. With a team of dedicated scientists, the Alberta Children’s Hospital is committed to discovering new and better cures by researching less toxic and more effective cancer treatments. This work includes boosting a child’s own immune system to fight cancer, targeting cancer stem cells to prevent aggressive cancers from returning, and improving bone marrow transplant donor selection to reduce disease, infections and relapse. This ground-breaking work is all made possible through generous donations, like that of our Safeway team. More specifically, the support from Safeway employees helps to equip hospital labs with the people and technology needed for researchers to carry out their work in the timeliest manner.

Thank you to each and every one of our teammates for all that you do to support and serve your local communities. It is because of your unwavering commitment that children in our community can benefit from new cancer discoveries, treatment and cures. Thank you.

This holiday season, Safeway is teaming up with the Edmonton Oilers to answer a desperate call for food aid in the Edmonton community. Together, we’ll partner to launch the Oilers Holiday Food Drive to help ease Edmonton’s Food Bank donation shortage – and we’re looking for Oilers fans to join us in lending a helping hand!

In advance of the remaining home games and events in December, non-perishable donations will be collected at Rogers Place in Ford Hall starting two hours in advance of puck drop until the end of the first period for all Oilers homes games (Dec. 20 vs. Pittsburgh, Dec. 21 vs. Montreal, Dec. 27 vs. Calgary and Dec. 31 vs. New York Rangers). Donations will also be collected from 10:00AM to 12:00PM at the Oilers Skills Competition on Dec. 29. Tickets to the games are not required to drop off donations.

The Edmonton Food Bank, a longstanding partner of both Safeway and the Edmonton Oilers, is facing a critical gap in donations to reach its goal of 370,000 kilograms of food. To kick off the effort and build momentum, Safeway is proudly donating $10,000 in food aid. The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation is matching the donation, for a total of $20,000 in food support out of the gate.

Safeway has been ingrained in the fabric of the Edmonton community for decades, donating millions in much-needed food and funds for local charities like the Edmonton Food Bank. When we heard there was a critical shortage, we didn’t hesitate to help put food on the table for our neighbours turning to the food bank this holiday season.

With each donation of a non-perishable item at Rogers Place (Ford Hall), Oilers fans will be provided a contest ballot to be dropped off at the arena for a chance to win The Ultimate Oilers Game Day Experience. The experience will be hosted on Wednesday, January 29 and includes:

• The opportunity to attend an Oilers practice
• A private lunch with Chef Tardi in Studio 99 (including a meet and greet with Bob Stauffer and Jack Michaels)
• A behind the scenes tour of Rogers Place
• A Loge Table for 4 people on January 29, 2020
• A $250 food and beverage credit
• A meet and greet with Leon Draisaitl and a signed jersey

“When friends and neighbours in our community are in need, it is important for all of us to step up and ensure everyone has food and fellowship, especially during the holiday season,” said Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation Executive Director Natalie Minckler. “The Edmonton Food Bank is a pillar within the community, and we need our fans to help us provide for those struggling with food insecurity and poverty.”

The Edmonton Food Bank is integral in responding to immediate hunger needs in the Edmonton Community particularly through its Festive Campaign – a series of donation events – running until January 10, 2020.

“Edmonton’s Food Bank is more than just a holiday hamper. We provide community meals across the city. We provide schools with snacks. We help the homeless shelters. We provide food hampers to individuals and families throughout the year and we need your help,” said Marjorie Bencz, CM, Executive Director, Edmonton’s Food Bank. “Children are disproportionately represented – 40 per cent of hamper clients are kids. Oilers fans have stepped up in the past and we are asking them to once again help us ensure that hope is on the menu in 2020.”

Fans and Safeway teammates that are unable to make it to Ford Hall are encouraged to stop by their local Safeway store to show their support. As you know, Safeway is accepting $2 check stand donations until December 22, with 100% of funds raised supporting the Edmonton Food Bank. In addition, community members can purchase a $5 or $10 food bank hamper year-round to further their giving. Please note that donations made in Safeway stores are not eligible for a contest entry.

Thank you to our outstanding store teams who have done an incredible job of securing donations this holiday season – we couldn’t do what we do without you!

The Company’s bargaining committee was back at the table last week, working hard to secure a fair collective agreement with UFCW 401. As always, our bargaining goals remain the same: fair and competitive collective agreements; and our business goals remain the same: to invest in the future of Safeway and introduce FreshCo in the right Alberta markets. We know that progress to date has at times been challenging, but last week, we took measures to address the Union’s concerns and encourage real, meaningful advancement at the table.

By removing the hurdles that the Union felt were a barrier to progress, we now expect to see significant and timely progress.

It’s no secret that some of our Safeway stores continue to struggle as the economic climate in Alberta continues to shift. With an increasing number of value-driven shoppers across the province, many of our Safeway stores are simply in the wrong markets. No matter how hard we work, we just can’t appeal to these discount shoppers with our full-service Safeway model.

We know that a fair agreement is possible. We recently secured a collective agreement for our FreshCo stores in Saskatchewan, where four Safeway stores will temporarily close for renovations before re-opening as FreshCo locations in summer 2020. FreshCo continues to be well received across Western Canada, and we’re excited for our Alberta customers to experience our proven Discount model too.

This being said, we want to be clear that it is not our intention to convert all Safeway stores. There’s a place for Safeway in many of our communities, just as there is a place for FreshCo. We whole heartedly believe in the Safeway brand and are excited for the significant investments planned for the coming years. However, it’s imperative that we have the right agreement in place to make these plans a reality.

Thank you to our hardworking store teams for exceeding our customers’ expectations during this busy holiday season, as we’re fighting for every possible sale during difficult economic times. We appreciate your dedication and we’ll continue working towards an agreement that is in all of our best interest. We look forward to sharing more progress with you soon on Safeway Talks.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas

At Safeway, we’re committed to creating an inclusive environment for all customers, and we couldn’t be more proud to make Sensory Friendly Shopping a reality in even more of our communities. Sensory Friendly Shopping hours will now be offered at our retail stores nation-wide, including Safeway, Sobeys, Foodland, IGA, Thrifty Foods and FreshCo! This national commitment is the first of its kind in the retail sector in Canada, and its success has been driven by the passion and commitment of over 450 store teams (and counting!) across the country.

The Company first introduced Sensory Friendly Shopping hours last year at a Sobeys store in Summerside, PEI. Following an overwhelming positive response from the community, more stores in the Atlantic region quickly adopted the initiative, welcoming individuals with sensory sensitivities to experience a reduced-stimulus shopping environment. The word continued to spread through social media, phone calls and emails to our stores and customer service center. In fact, store teams even received handwritten letters from schools and families expressing support and gratitude for providing this option to customers. Soon enough, Sensory Friendly Shopping was making its way across the country.

To date, all 76 Alberta Safeway stores, and 131 Alberta stores in total, have taken the lead to implement Sensory Friendly Shopping hours every Monday night from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. During this time, Safeway stores dim the lights by 50%, limit cart pick-up and turn off music, PA announcements, and cash register sounds.

Customer and employee feedback has been incredible. Below is just one example from an Alberta customer:

“Thank you so very much. I’m an Autistic mom of 5 Autistic children. For me, being able to go to a grocery store without becoming totally overwhelmed and sometimes terrified by all of the loud noises is something I never thought possible. I actually cried when I read “reduced scanner noise”. To me, those scanner noises are so loud that they actually make my heart race. Most people with Autism or sensory issues live their life surrounded by people who don’t understand them or what is causing much of their behaviours. So when people do understand, like you have, it is truly a gift to us and we are so very thankful. I am so excited to go to get groceries and not be afraid that the sound of 20 carts moving at once is going to come out of nowhere and terrify me! I always leave my kids at home when I shop but your Monday nights will also give them the opportunity to come to a quiet environment and pick things out for themselves if they’d like to. Thank you for making us feel understood”

We know that the grocery store is a central hub of the community, and as we continue to serve the needs of our communities, it’s important that everyone feels welcome in our stores. We pride ourselves on creating an inclusive work and shopping environment that reflects our diverse customer base and the communities we operate in. This commitment is supported across all lelvels of our organization and store network.

This truly store-driven initiative is an inspiring example of the positive effect that our stores so often have in their local communities. Thank you to all of our retail teams who have helped to make this outstanding initiative a reality – way to go, team!

Team,

The holiday season is a great time to reminisce, set goals, share laughter, enjoy good food and spend quality time with family and friends. It is also time to recognize and appreciate our blessings and to reflect on the countless accomplishments we have made over the past year, both personally and professionally.

It has been a rewarding and exciting year. We would like to sincerely thank everyone for your hard work, dedication and highly valued contribution to our mutual success.

We have a lot of important work ahead. Together, we will continue to achieve and celebrate success, and attack opportunities while we sustain our culture of winning.

Many Albertans are having a difficult year. Let’s strive to exceed every customers’ expectations when they choose to shop in our stores.

We wish you and your loved ones the very best this holiday season. Merry Christmas and a healthy and happy new year. Let’s make 2020 the best yet!

Sincerely,

Scott Chollak, Ken Chalmers, and the Alberta District Operators & Managers, Retail Operations

Nearly two decades ago, Callingwood Safeway Store Manager, Chris Wilkes, was asked by an employee if he would be willing to volunteer at a local high school to read stories to students with disabilities. He eagerly accepted the opportunity, unknowing that it would lead to an 18-year partnership with the school that still continues today.

Every year on Customer Appreciation Day, up to 30 students from L.Y. Cairns School, along with a teacher and two school aides, visit Chris’ Safeway store in Edmonton. For a few hours, the students support with jobs such as bagging groceries, facing shelves, returning shopping baskets, and other tasks around the store.

While at the store, Safeway teammates and the students’ teachers provide positive encouragement and direction. The various in-store tasks, along with the interaction with fellow employees and customers, have helped nurture the students’ self-confidence and social communication skills. 

“I’ve seen kids go from facing the shelves and needing supervision, to bagging groceries and wishing customers a nice day within months. They are so proud of what they do and always leave with a smile on their faces,” said Erin, one of the students’ teachers. “The bonds they’ve developed with employees has changed their lives,” she added. “I have one student who, two years after leaving my program, still asks me regularly about his favorite produce manager, Frank. Other students have chosen horticulture as their vocational class because of Marlene in the floral department. And we have other students who choose to apply for career opportunities at Safeway because of how the program has made them feel.”

When the partnership began, the school found it difficult to arrange transportation for the students. Chris rallied his store team and organized a fundraiser through the Because We Care community program. Employees rode on more than 20 stationary bikes in a mall for 24 hours to raise enough money to help buy a bus to transport the students. Donations were higher than expected, and the same bus is running today!

Customers approach Chris to express how much they appreciate the store supporting the students.  The store and employees have received the City of Edmonton Mayors Award twice for working with persons with disabilities, most recently in 2014. Chris says his team has learned a lot from the students, and “far more than they will ever learn from us; it’s been extremely gratifying.”​ Congratulations to the entire Callingwood Safeway team for your unwavering commitment to serving your community – way to go!