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Mobilizing Unifor Members in Retail, Wholesale, Warehousing and Food, Dairy and Beverage Processing
Unifor national, local union and workplace leadership in the retail, wholesale, warehousing and food, dairy and beverage processing industries came together on April 4-6 to celebrate the union’s bargaining and organizing successes and advances to workers’ rights, while discussing the pressing economic and political challenges facing these industries now and into the future.
Unifor has been a driving force behind the fight for economic justice, fair wages, workplace benefits and safe working conditions. But in the face of major economic headwinds, including an ongoing U.S.-provoked trade war, global political crises, a slowing economy, ongoing affordability concerns and persistent forms of precarious work, we recognize the urgent need to mobilize members in our union, and across the supply chain to tackle these pressing issues affecting workers.
The fight for decent wages and benefits, stable employment, and safe workplaces has never been more critical, and our collective strength will determine the future of these essential sectors.
Addressing the Crisis in Our Industries
Across Canada and beyond, workers in retail, wholesale, warehousing and food, dairy and beverage processing are facing mounting challenges. Conference delegates raised growing concerns over job insecurity, increasing workloads, low pay, mental health, limited access to pensions and benefits, as well as unsafe working conditions that are consistent across the supply chain. Corporations are more aggressively adopting new technologies to lower employment levels and limit wage growth, including through automation, time standards, and artificial intelligence. New technologies are also being deployed through advanced surveillance tools, such as body cameras, raising serious concerns for the rights of front-line service workers. E-commerce, and advanced ‘last-mile’ distribution networks, continues to upend the traditional retail business model, leaving workers vulnerable to job workplace restructuring and bankruptcy, most recently experienced at the Hudson’s Bay Company.
Economic insecurity fuelled by an unjustified U.S.-led trade war is compounding pressures felt by workers in precarious and part-time jobs. Union-busting tactics and labour laws that favour employers continue to threaten our ability to organize new members and advocate for better conditions.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of our supply chains and highlighted the indispensable role that frontline workers play in keeping our communities fed and supplied. Yet, despite being hailed as "essential," many of these workers are still struggling to make ends meet. Unifor members must come together, to work strategically with each other and in coordination with our social partners, to build on our recent successes and continue to demand that those who keep our supply chains running, especially our food supply, are treated fairly and with respect.
The Power of Collective Action
The strength of any union lies in the power of its members. Now more than ever, we must commit to organizing and mobilizing across the entire supply chain. Employers are highly coordinated in their efforts to extract more value from workers while keeping wages low and benefits minimal. Our response must be equally coordinated and even more determined.
When workers in retail, wholesale, warehousing, and food, dairy and beverage processing unite, we amplify our voices and increase our bargaining power. Unifor proved this is possible in recent years, negotiating exceptional, pattern-setting collective agreements in the retail supermarket and warehousing industries, led by rank-and-file local union leadership at bargaining tables and on picket lines. Union members also politicized their struggle, to push for fairer laws, including higher minimum wages and protecting statutory holidays. The work of Unifor members inspired others in the country to fight for wage improvements and to organize their own workplaces – a meaningful act of building workers’ power. It’s no surprise that, in the past 2 years, growth in retail worker wages in Canada have far outpaced the industrial average.
We know our work is far from done. In fact, this conference marks the beginning of a new path forward. In Unifor, we recognize that a warehouse worker negotiating for better conditions will find greater success when their counterparts in transportation and retail stand in solidarity. A cashier or store clerk demanding fair pay is stronger when food processing workers join the fight for better wages. Supporting Canadian food production, and the jobs that come with it, is best done if retail sales workers are leading the charge. Unifor envisions a supply-chain solidarity effort that ensures no one sector is left vulnerable and that we move forward together.
Key Areas for Mobilization
Moving forward, Unifor along with its local unions and its Retail-Wholesale-Food Industry Council, call for a union-led, national industrial strategy that protects Canadian jobs. We will prioritize the following actions to advance the rights of our members and all workers across our sectors:
- Advance strategic bargaining efforts
- Identify opportunities to coordinate collective bargaining within targeted sectors, and set strong pattern agreements to raise work standards, led by Local Union leadership.
- Fight for good jobs and job security
- Campaign for stronger labour standards and fairer organizing laws, in all jurisdictions, and advocate for fair wages that reflect the essential nature of work in the retail, wholesale, warehousing and food, dairy and beverage processing industries.
- Continue to push back against the rise of precarious, temporary and involuntary part-time work that provides fewer benefits and less job security. The union will continue to negotiate more full-time employment and ensure stable scheduling, with dedicated time off the job, that allows workers to plan their lives.
- Promote safe and dignified workplaces
- Workplace injuries, harassment, and unsafe conditions are widespread in these industries. Unifor will continue to demand rigorous safety standards and accountability from employers who put profits before worker safety.
- Mental health must also be a priority. The high-pressure environments of retail stores, warehouses and processing plants can lead to stress and burnout. The erratic and unstable work schedules workers face, contribute to this high-pressure. Unifor will advocate for better work-life balance, stable schedules, higher wages, and mental health support.
Focus on equity
Recognizing the diversity of workers in the retail, wholesale, warehousing and food, dairy and beverage processing sectors, and taking all necessary steps to foster equity and inclusiveness in our workplaces is critical.
Our workplaces must be accessible to all members, equally. That includes the work of the union itself. We must ensure that equity-deserving groups are reflected in the work we do, including at the bargaining table. This is an essential component of our strength and must be a key feature of our strategic sector development.
Greater oversight of new technology
Unchecked technological development poses great risks to Unifor members’ jobs and health and safety at work. Unifor will never accept the imposition of new technology on our members, and expects ongoing good faith, collaborative and transparent dialogue with employers on these issues.
Fighting Back Against Corporate Greed
- Many of the largest employers in these industries are raking in record profits while aggressively limiting the share of wealth that workers receive. Unifor will mobilize to grow good jobs, with decent wages and benefits in these industries and that reflect the productivity and profits enjoyed by these firms.
- Anti-union tactics, such as intimidation and misinformation, are frequently used to discourage workers from organizing. Unifor will organize to educate our members and counteract these tactics with strong, grassroots mobilization.
- Political Advocacy and Policy Change
- Governments play a key role in setting labour standards. Unifor will push for legislative changes that strengthen collective bargaining rights, facilitate more bargaining coordination across workplaces, implement fair scheduling laws and guaranteed time off the job, eliminate unequal pay treatment for student workers, improve income security, and strong health and safety rules.
- Unifor will also continue to advocate for strong worker supports, and defend Canadian workplaces and jobs, in the face of a U.S.-provoked trade war. Unifor will loudly support the principles of fair, worker-centred, trade policy and present big ideas to build a stronger, self-sustaining and more resilient Canadian economy.
Moving Forward: A Call to Action
Now is the time for action. By building solidarity across the supply chain, strengthening our bargaining power, and advocating for fairer labour laws, we can create a better future for all workers in retail, wholesale, warehousing, and food, dairy and beverage processing.
Unifor members must continue to stand together, organize, and push for meaningful change. Our collective strength will shape the future of these industries and ensure that workers’ rights remain at the forefront of economic and political decisions. Together, we will win.
