The failure of Canada91裸聊视频檚 grocers to reinstate 91裸聊视频渉ero pay91裸聊视频� for employees amid an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases is 91裸聊视频渁bout greed, period,91裸聊视频� the head of the country91裸聊视频檚 largest private-sector union said Friday.
Unifor national president Jerry Dias said while front-line supermarket workers are facing the biggest risks, executives are receiving the biggest rewards.
Top grocery bosses have cashed multi-million dollar bonuses as sales and profits soar during the pandemic 91裸聊视频� even as they refuse to bring back pay bumps for employees, he said.
91裸聊视频淓mployees on the front line are at risk every day and yet it91裸聊视频檚 the executives being rewarded handsomely,91裸聊视频� Dias said. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e making record profits but don91裸聊视频檛 have the decency to pay their employees what they91裸聊视频檙e worth.91裸聊视频�
His comments come after the federal NDP critic for economic development, MP Brian Masse, sent a letter to the heads of Canada91裸聊视频檚 biggest supermarkets this week saying workers are doing risky work and again deserve a wage premium to keep stores open and shelves stocked.
Three grocery chains 91裸聊视频� Loblaws, Metro and Sobeys 91裸聊视频� ushered in a $2-an-hour pay bump in the early days of the pandemic. It was cancelled after the first wave subsided.
While each chain has sporadically reintroduced either wage bonuses or other incentives, it appears none have offered workers pay premiums as a result of the Omicron surge.
Loblaw did not respond to multiple requests for comment, while Metro declined to comment.
However, Sobeys shared a letter CEO Michael Medline sent in response to Masse91裸聊视频檚 concerns.
91裸聊视频淲e are the only retailer in Canada who publicly committed to reinstating our Hero Pay/Lockdown Bonus program when regions or provinces go back into lockdowns that close all non-essential retail,91裸聊视频� he said.
Sobeys has distributed over $110 million in 91裸聊视频渉ero pay91裸聊视频� and bonuses to its front-line team members since the beginning of the pandemic, Medline said.
Sobeys spokeswoman Jacquelin Weatherbee added in an email that the company is closely watching the constantly changing restrictions.
If government-mandated lockdowns once again close all non-essential retail, the grocer will reinstate its lockdown bonus, she said.
Yet Dias said the risk of catching COVID-19 has never been greater for retail workers as infections surge across the country.
91裸聊视频淧andemic pay was a recognition that front-line workers are at an increased risk from the coronavirus,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hat danger is still there.91裸聊视频�
Dalhousie University professor of food distribution and policy Sylvain Charlebois said other parts of the food industry, including processing and distribution, have seen wages increase permanently during the pandemic.
91裸聊视频淓mployees in stores also deserve higher wages,91裸聊视频� Charlebois said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 time to look at wages seriously.91裸聊视频�
Other retailers, such as Costco Wholesale Canada Ltd. and The Home Depot Canada, replaced temporary pandemic bonuses with permanent wage increases.
However, part of the issue in food retail is that it91裸聊视频檚 a 91裸聊视频渉igh volume, low margin environment,91裸聊视频� Charlebois said.
91裸聊视频淚f grocery chains raised wages by $2 an hour across the board, most of the stores in their networks would likely run at a loss,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 the reality of grocery shopping.91裸聊视频�
Meanwhile, increasing automation could reduce the number of workers companies need to run a grocery store, but those people could be better paid, Charlebois said.
91裸聊视频淜nowing the financial realities of running a grocery store, you can91裸聊视频檛 afford to keep the same amount of people (and increase both automation and wages across the board),91裸聊视频� he said.
But Dias said employees deserve a living wage.
91裸聊视频淵ou can always find justification not to do the right thing,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淭he bottom line is those on the front lines deserve to have decent hours and to make a decent living wage.91裸聊视频�
UFCW Canada, which also represents grocery retail workers in Canada, did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
91裸聊视频擝rett Bundale, The Canadian Press
