We’re disappointed by the recent advertisements put out by your union, UFCW 401. Not only are they riddled with false statements intended to damage our reputation, but are meant to take attention away from what matters most right now — understanding Safeway’s offer and getting prepared to exercise your right to vote on it.

We can’t stand by and accept the union’s slander. This is why we’ve sent the below letter to UFCW 401 leadership and we will respond to their defamatory public campaign with legal action.

It’s unfortunate that your union is not acting in your best interest.

We encourage you to ask them why.

January 8, 2025

To: Thomas Hesse, President, UFCW Local 401

Re: Alberta Safeway

We are disappointed to see that UFCW 401 has resorted to advertisements filled with inflammatory rhetoric and blatantly false statements. We cannot understand why the union that claims to represent workers’ best interests would actively engage in conduct that would dissuade Albertans from shopping in our stores? Fewer customers mean fewer available hours. It makes no sense that you would take actions that would hurt our teammates. We demand that you discontinue these harmful activities immediately.

It is unlawful to make false allegations with the intent to damage a reputation or brand so as a result, we will be responding with legal action.

We will also set the record straight with our teammates. Rather than spending teammate dues advocating for their best interests, UFCW 401 is wasting resources on advertisements that will result in negative impacts to our teammates as well as the long-term wellbeing of our business.

The facts are clear: Top-rated Safeway teammates are the highest paid unionized grocery employees in Alberta. Our offer enables teammates to maintain those wage rates while the rest of the market catches up. Why would the union encourage members to vote against an offer that allows them to continue to be top wage earners?

Our offer balances the needs of all teammates while addressing the long-term health of Safeway’s business in Alberta. Contrary to the union’s approach, we remain committed to

transparent and truthful communication and will be encouraging our teammates to vote “yes” on the deal before them.

If the offer is rejected, top-rated teammates wages will be reverted and they will be left with an uncertain outcome from the various different legal proceedings ahead of us. For the in-scale teammates, they lose out on any guarantee of additional money in the coming years. Our offer allows teammates to maintain what they have now and provides certainty for the next four years. Pushing them towards any other outcome makes no sense for any of our teammates.

Best regards,

Andrew Follwell, VP Labour Relations