GTA Metro workers vote in favour of strike ahead of contract negotiations

Unifor says Metro grocery workers in the Greater Toronto Area voted 100 per cent in favour of striking ahead of their first contract negotiations since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic.

Unifor Local 414 represents 3,700 workers across 27 Metro stores and is expected to begin negotiations with the grocer on June 26.

The union says the vote shows workers are united and determined to arrive at a collective agreement that addresses key issues faced by them and by Metro customers.

The union’s national president Lana Payne says in a press release that Metro needs to address low wages, which have been further reduced by inflation.

Unifor Local 414 president Gord Currie says in the press release that workers have three key priorities: fair pay for all workers, greater access to better benefits, and more secure work hours and full-time jobs.

The union says Metro workers are committed to bargaining a fair collective agreement that reflects their contributions to the grocer’s success.

Metro declined to comment.