Members at Zehrs & Loblaws GFS and Real Canadian Superstores ratify substantial improvements in new agreement

Members at Zehrs and Loblaws Great Food Stores (GFS) and Real Canadian Superstores (RCSS) recently ratified an agreement that contains more than $15 million in improvements over and above their existing agreement.

In addition to good wage increases, the members at Zehrs and Loblaws GFS and RCSS will also benefit from job assurance for all full-time workers, and a significantly shorter time frame for current and future part-time employees to reach the top rate.

The existing collective agreement was set to expire on July 1, 2021. With the ratification of this deal, the Union will apply to the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) to approve the early opening and implementation of the negotiated agreement.

For background on how and why the Union and Loblaw Companies began discussions to open the existing contracts early, please have a look at this article posted prior to the meetings.

Members at the affected stores voted at meetings that took place between February 23 and February 27, 2020. The ratified agreement will bring significant improvements for the over 11,100 members at 63 stores operating under the GFS and RCSS banners.

Because of these early discussions, the Union was able to secure millions of dollars in improvements that go beyond what was provided for in the existing agreement. In addition, the Union achieved further improvements for the members that will roll out over the three-year extension. The new agreement now expires on July 1, 2024.

Part-Time Improvements

RCSS/GFS part-time employees hired prior to June 12, 1994 will receive raises totalling $2.10 per hour over the term of the agreement. This includes:

• An increase of 65 cents per hour as of ratification paid retroactively for all hours worked since November 3, 2019;
• 22 cents per hour paid retroactively for hours worked between January 1, 2018 and November 2, 2019;
• An increase of 30 cents per hour as of June 28, 2020. Subsequent increases over the remaining term of the agreement will be:
  • 35 cents in 2021;
  • 40 cents in 2022; and,
  • 40 cents in 2023.

RCSS/GFS part-time employees hired prior to July 9, 2015 who are at the end rate of pay will receive raises totalling $1.85 per hour over the term of the agreement. This includes:

• An increase of 40 cents per hour as of ratification paid retroactively for all hours worked since November 3, 2019;
• 22 cents per hour paid retroactively for hours worked between January 1, 2018 and November 2, 2019;
• An increase of 30 cents per hour as of June 28, 2020. Subsequent increases over the remaining term of the agreement will be:
  • 35 cents in 2021;
  • 40 cents in 2022; and,
  • 40 cents in 2023.

RCSS/GFS part-time employees hired after July 9, 2015 will move to a new wage grid. This grid has significant improvements for the members.

Now, to reach the top rate, employees require only 4501 hours of work instead of the 6501 hours needed before. That means it takes a lot less time for part-time employees to reach the end rate on the wage grid.

• Employees who currently have between 4501 and 6500 hours will be placed at the top of the wage grid and will see immediate increases of between $1.25 and $1.75 per hour. Plus, that increase will be paid retroactively for hours worked since November 3, 2019.
• Those employees with less than 4501 hours will have their hours mapped onto the new grid where all rates stay ahead of minimum wage. The results will be initial increases of between 5 cents per hour and 90 cents per hour. Those increases will apply retroactively for hours worked since November 3, 2019.
• Plus, this same group of employees will benefit from the reduced time needed to qualify for top rate going forward as well as the larger amounts of money available at each level. Once reached, these employees will receive an hourly rate of minimum wage plus $2.25.

GFS part-time employees who Maintain Economics will receive a total wage increase over the term of the agreement of $1.45 per hour. This includes:

• An increase of 30 cents as of June 28, 2020;
• 22 cents per hour paid retroactively for hours worked between January 1, 2018 and November 2, 2019;
• Subsequent increases over the remaining term of the agreement will be:
  • 35 cents in 2021;
  • 40 cents in 2022; and,
  • 40 cents in 2023.

Those part-time employees hired prior to July 9, 2015 who are at or above the top rate will benefit from an additional protection: Should the Ontario government increase minimum wage in excess of the negotiated wage increases, the employer will add the difference to the employees’ wage rate.

Part-time employees may now opt to receive cross-training within their store. This is strictly voluntary and those that participate will receive cross-training in accordance with seniority. This provision gives employees the opportunity to gain more hours and build skills in other departments for future full-time job postings.

In addition, part-time employees may also achieve more hours going forward through the Shift Marketplace App, scheduled to roll out in late 2020 or early 2021. Through this app, employees will be able to see if the employer has more hours than employees available to fill shifts across stores in their area. Employees with the skill and ability can pick up those shifts on a first-come first-serve basis.

The employer will also work toward enabling their systems and procedures to allow part-time employees to gain additional hours by being hired at two corporate stores. This will allow those workers to access more work and proceed through the progression grid faster as well.

Full-time Improvements

The full-time wage grid contains significant improvements overall. For example: The 12-month Clerk rate went from $15 per hour to $19 per hour. That’s equal to $160 more per week for full-time clerks who have reached the 12-month rate.

• All full-time employees will get a lump sum signing bonus of $1,000 as of ratification.
• Unionized Department Managers receive the following:
  • 65 cents per hour on June 28, 2020;
  • Further increases totalling $1.45 per hour over the remaining agreement term.
• In this contract, full-time employees receive a total of $1.60 per hour over the life of the agreement. This marks the largest rate increase over the shortest amount of time in the last 15 years for these members:
  • 40 cents per hour as of June 28, 2020;
  • Further increases totalling $1.20 per hour over the remaining term of the agreement.

The Union secured personal job assurance for all full-time employees on the payroll as of ratification. This protects another 339 full-time employees in addition to the 1491 protected by previous agreements. In total, this agreement extends job protection to a total of 1830 full-time employees.

Lastly, full-time employees as of the date of ratification may now opt to be scheduled in more than one department on a voluntary basis. These shifts will be identified and offered by the employer to those members who opt-in. This provision gives employees the opportunity to expand their skill set and successfully qualify for various job postings in the future.

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