‘No more, we’ve had it’: Metro grocery workers from Toronto to Brantford on strike

Picket lines are up at 27 Metro locations from Toronto to Brantford with union leaders saying members can no longer accept labour agreements that still leave them scrambling to make ends meet.

Almost 4,000 full and part-time store clerks in all departments, including cashiers, department managers, pharmacy, and Starbucks staff at stores in Toronto, Brantford, Orangeville, Milton, Oakville, Brampton, North York, Islington, Willowdale, Mississauga, Etobicoke, Newmarket and Scarborough have walked off the job days after rejecting a tentative deal that was reached last week.

Unifor national president Lana Payne was blunt when asked about the main issue of this strike.

“The issue is money and money up front,” she said while speaking to reporters Saturday outside a Toronto store.

Payne conceded that the tentative agreement that was reached was the best offer they had received in decades but that the membership made it clear it wasn’t enough.

“The reality is they agree this was a better deal than they’ve seen in a very long time, it’s just not enough. It’s not enough for them to live on and be able to support their families in the environment that we’re seeing right now.”

She adds most grocery store jobs across Canada are now part-time roles, adding workers in the industry are fighting for both greater stability and a share of the billions in profits the largest grocery retailers have netted in recent months.

Payne says it is up to the company to come back to the bargaining table and recognize “the moment that we’re in”, noting the problems that the grocery stores and grocery barons are going through is an issue that goes beyond these workers.

“They need to take this seriously as does every corporation in this country right now. We’re living in a different moment,” said Payne.

“What we need to see is a recognition by corporations that they have to share the profits right now, or they’re going to face labour strife everywhere in the country.”

Samantha Henry, a deli clerk who’s worked at Metro for 10 years, said workers were motivated to walk off the job due to a combination of rising living costs and lack of appreciation for their efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic when grocery stores continued to operate as an essential service.

The 36-year-old mother of three said survival is nearly impossible these days, citing rising rent and grocery costs with which most cannot keep pace.

“It’s hard when you have three kids and you work at a retail job. You have to budget your money and make sure you know what’s there every single week,” she said.

Metro Ontario said the following stores will be closed during the strike:

• 180 Sandalwood Pkw., Brampton, ON
• 371 St. Paul Ave., Brantford, ON
• 201 Lloyd Manor, Etobicoke, ON
• 1500 Royal York Rd., Etobicoke, ON
• 1050 Kennedy Circle, Milton, ON
• 2225 Erin Mills Pkwy, Mississauga, ON
• 6677 Meadowvale Town Centre Circle, Mississauga, ON
• Unit 1-16640 Yonge St., Newmarket, ON
• 1111 Davis Dr., Newmarket, ON
• 3090 Bathurst St. North, York, ON
• 20 Church Ave North York, ON
• 1411 Lawrence Ave. W, North York, ON
• 291 York Mills Rd., North York, ON
• 1050 Don Mills Rd., North York, ON
• 150 First St., Orangeville, ON
• 1521 Rebecca St., Oakville, ON
• 16 William Kitchen Rd., Scarborough, ON
• 40 Eglinton Sq., Scarborough, ON
• 2900 Warden Ave., Scarborough, ON
• 3221 Eglinton Ave. E, Scarborough, ON
• 3003 Danforth Ave., Toronto, ON
• 2155 St. Clair Ave. W, Toronto, ON
• 100 Lynn Williams St., Toronto, ON
• 425 Bloor St. W, Toronto, ON
• 2300 Yonge St., Toronto, ON
• 656 Eglinton Ave. E, Toronto, ON
• 89 Gould St., Toronto, ON

Metro Ontario Inc. says the strike does not affect Food Basics stores in the GTA, which remain open. Pharmacies located within affected stores will remain open and online grocery services remain available.

“The company has been negotiating with the union for the past few weeks and reached a fair and equitable agreement that meets the needs of our employees and our customers while ensuring that Metro remains competitive,” read the statement.

“The settlement provided significant increases for employees in all four years of the agreement, as well as pension and benefits improvements for all employees, including part-time employees.”

In March, Metro reported earnings of $218 million, a 10 per cent increase from the same period a year ago while second quarter sales toppped $4.55 billion, a 6.6 per cent rise from the same time last year. The company is set to report third quarter results on August 9.

A study released last month from Canada’s Competition Bureau found Loblaws, Sobeys and Metro – the country’s three largest grocery companies – collectively reported more than $100 billion in sales and $3.6 billion in profits last year.

Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report