Workers Left in the Lurch With This Week's Metro Announcement


MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Aug. 16, 2013) - The United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 175 & 633, which represents 9,500 workers at Metro stores across Ontario, believes Metro's announcement this week, of its intent to 'reorganize' 15 Ontario stores, was irresponsible.

"I understand that Metro has stakeholders that need to be made happy but this blanket announcement has caused fear and unnecessary hardship on thousands of workers across the province who now have to wonder if their jobs are at risk," explained UFCW Local 175 President Shawn Haggerty. "These workers are stakeholders too - their livelihoods depend on their jobs."

Despite reaching out to Metro for more details, the Union has received no information beyond what the public knows. "We've had many members calling because they're concerned that it's going to be their store and their job that will be affected," said Haggerty.

Each time these conversions take place, it affects entire communities. The wages and benefits of the affected workers change, the stores that customers have come to know and rely on change, and the communities suffer as a result.

The collective agreement between Metro and UFCW Locals 175 & 633 contains provisions to help protect workers affected by conversions as much as possible. Workers in Metro stores faced with conversion will have buyout, buy-down and bumping options, should they have sufficient seniority.

UFCW Locals 175 & 633 represent 66,000 workers in Ontario, across 20 sectors of the economy, including 16,400 at Metro-owned stores (Metro, Food Basics, Oak Pharmacy, and The Barn).

Contact Information:

UFCW Locals 175 & 633
Al McLean
905-821-8329
705-446-8720