The owner of Safeway grocery stores has announced it鈥檚 going to close 10 of the locations, the union representing its workers says.
In a news release sent out on Tuesday, United Food and Commercial Workers local 1518 said the locations are Lougheed Mall in Burnaby; City Square, Point Grey and Royal Oak in Vancouver; Sunwood Square in Coquitlam; Blundel and Broadmoor in Richmond; Newton Town Centre and Strawberry Hills in Surrey; and Mission.
鈥淔irst, Sobeys squandered Safeway鈥檚 market share and sullied a well-loved B.C. brand,鈥� union president Ivan Lampright said. 鈥淣ow they want to make our members pay for their mistakes? This isn鈥檛 about business: it鈥檚 about people鈥檚 lives.鈥�
Sobeys has indicated to Safeway employees that it might turn at least five of the locations into FreshCo. discount stores, the release said.
Sobeys鈥� parent company, Empire Co., has been in negotiations with UFCW 1518, which represents about 4,500 employees.
Black Press Media has reached out to Sobeys for comment.
ashley.wadhwani@bpdigital.ca
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