UFCW Local 175 Members at Metro (The Barn Markets) Vote 99.6% in Favour of Strike Action

MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 8, 2016) - Members of Local 175 of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) who work at Metro stores covered under The Barn Markets collective agreement have voted 99.6% in favour of strike action should it become necessary.

"Members at The Barn have been working without a contract since September 2015," said Shawn Haggerty, President of UFCW Local 175. "We've come to agreement on a number of things with the company but there are outstanding issues that made it necessary to ask members for a strike vote."

The major concerns that remain include wage increases and improvements to benefits for both full and part-time members.

"We want to get back to negotiations and achieve a good contract for these workers," said President Haggerty. "The members have given us a strong strike mandate and the company needs to recognize how important the unresolved issues are to these workers."

Strike action would affect almost 1,000 workers at the affected stores including three in Hamilton, and one each in Brampton, Huntsville, Sarnia, Oakville, Dundas, and Tillsonburg. The strike votes took place on Sunday, March 6, 2016. The Union has reached out to schedule further dates for negotiations and/or mediation.

UFCW Locals 175 & 633 represents more than 70,000 Union members working across Ontario, including more than 37,000 retail grocery workers at Loblaw, Metro, Safeway, and Sobeys banner stores across Ontario.