THE LATEST UPDATES

May 12, 2026

Gateway FreshCo: Bargaining is a Grind

We finished our third day of negotiation on Friday, May 8th, and unfortunately, we still do not have any signed, agreed-upon items to report.

The company’s lawyer is causing difficulties in a couple of ways. Clarity in the writing and formatting of his proposals, so that we can clearly see what changes he’s asking for, has been an issue. His insistence on changing the wording of every clause in the contract is also an obstacle.

For example, in the health and safety proposals, we have had to respond to the company trying to change the word “shall” to “will,” then change “shall” to “must,” four times.

“It is difficult to negotiate when the company lawyer makes you act as their secretary,” said Chris O’Halloran, Executive Director for UFCW Local 401. “We have to format and fix every proposal to submit a reply.”

“If it’s not broken and it’s not a problem, don’t try to fix it,” continued O’Halloran. “This has always been my motto for negotiations, and it’s frustrating when you have to fight over silly changes like ‘shall’ to ‘must’.”

It is our hope that the company will direct their lawyer to stop playing anti-worker games and move negotiations along faster in the future. It would also be helpful if they put an offer on the table that actually speaks to wages and benefits.

We will keep you up to date as bargaining continues. If you have any questions or concerns, or if you’d like to attend open bargaining, contact Chris O’Halloran at cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca (by phone at 587-999-6448), or reach out to James Russwurm at jrusswurm@ufcw401.ab.ca (or by phone at 587-990-3228). Stay tuned for further updates!

In Solidarity,

Your Union
UFCW Local 401

May 4, 2026

Gateway FreshCo: Bargaining Continues, Slowly

On Monday, April 27, your negotiating committee returned to the bargaining table. Bargaining moved slowly for the second day of negotiations. We will be back at the negotiating table on Friday, May 8^th.

At the employer’s request, the main focus of bargaining was on 3 bundles:

UP6,CP8,CP9 Grievance and Arbitration process
UP1, UP2, CP3 Purpose and Recognition
UP7, CP10, UP14, CP17 Health and Safety and General Holidays

UFCW believes in open bargaining, which means our members are welcome to come and observe the bargaining process. You can learn more about open bargaining at this link.

Your Union will continue to ask the company to present an offer on wages and benefit improvements. The company has taken a very traditional position: they will not discuss those matters until all the other proposals have been dealt with.

“Bargaining is moving slowly, as the company lawyer is rewriting every union proposal,” said Chris O’Halloran, Executive Director of UFCW Local 401. “I hope this approach from the company lawyer is them just getting familiar with the process, and it will improve at the next round of bargaining.”

If you have any questions or concerns, or if you’d like to attend open bargaining, contact Chris O’Halloran at cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca (by phone at 587-999-6448), or reach out to James Russwurm at jrusswurm@ufcw401.ab.ca (or by phone at 587-990-3228). Stay tuned for further updates!

In Solidarity,

Your Union
UFCW Local 401

April 29, 2026

Sobeys Frustrates FreshCo Bargaining

Your union’s negotiating committee met with the company for four days of negotiation from March 30 to April 2. The union negotiation committee members were:

Aicha Cisse
Gopika Cheeroth Sunilkumar
Cat Eden – Union Labour Relations Officer
Chris O’Halloran – Executive Director for UFCW Local 401

The company and the union met and exchanged their ingoing proposals on the morning of March 30, 2026. You can find copies of the proposals at the links below:

Unfortunately, that is about where the productive negotiation stopped. Sobeys has refused to respond in any meaningful way to your union’s proposals (or proposal packages). The union asked for Sobeys to provide a written response to address some of the confusion; they refused.

Here is one example of the games the company played during this period of bargaining.

On March 31, 2026 at 1:43 pm, your union gave Sobeys an amended proposal about the rights of a shop steward in the workplace. These are standard rights in most union contracts.

This kind of language appears in agreements that Sobeys has with workers at Safeway, Sobey’s and IGA:

UP4 – ARTICLE 4 – UNION REPRESENTATION

Amend the current language to read as follows:

4.01

A Shop Steward may meet with the Employer during work hours with no loss of pay to discuss matters pertaining to the Collective Agreement or Employee concerns.
A request to meet with an employee confidentially, before or after a meeting in paragraph (b) above, during work hours with no loss of pay, will not be unreasonably denied.

On April 2, 2026, at 2:23 pm, after repeatedly asking for a response covering all the changes the union had requested, Sobeys simply said they had to get back to us.

“This was a ridiculous approach to negotiations,” said Chris O’Halloran, Executive Director for UFCW Local 401. “Three days of negotiations, and they would not give a response to a basic union proposal.”

The Union has given the company dates and is awaiting a response on when we can expect to return to the bargaining table.

If you have any questions, please contact Catherine Eden at catherine.eden@ufcw401.ab.ca (or by phone at 587-598-0565), or Chris O’Halloran at cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca (or by phone at 587-999-6448). Stay tuned for further updates!

April 27, 2026

Gateway FreshCo: We’re Back in Negotiations

The company and your union met and exchanged their ingoing proposals on Monday April 13, 2026. You can find a copies of those proposals below:

The union negotiating committee was made up of

Constanza Ortega (FreshCo member)
Emma Underhill (FreshCo member)
James Russwurm (Union Representative)
Chris O’Halloran (Executive Director for UFCW Local 401)

Unfortunately, the employer’s proposals are looking for a lot of concessions. They also don’t contain any improvements for wages or benefits. We’re back at the table with the employer as of today, and we’re hopeful that they’ll change tacks and adopt a more reasonable approach.

If you have any questions, please contact Chris O’Halloran at cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca (or by phone at 587-999-6448). Stay tuned for more updates!

FreshCo Saddletowne: Negotiations Start on a Positive Note

The negotiating committee caucus on April 20 and met with the employer April 21. You can find the company and the union’s ingoing proposals at the links below:

Your union negotiating committee was made up of:

Cindy Douglas (FreshCo Member)
April Albrecht (Union Labour Relations officer)
Chris O’Halloran (Executive Director for UFCW Local 401)

UFCW Local 401 believes in open bargaining. That means any member who wants to come out and observe what happens during negotiations, they’re welcome to do so.

You can find out more about open bargaining by watching a helpful video at this link.

“Negotiations went as well as could be expected for the first day,” said Chris O’Halloran, Executive Director for UFCW Local 401. “We were able to get agreement on five pages of improvements to the collective agreement.”

The employer has still not presented their offer to improve wages and benefits, so we are hesitant to say too many good things until we see their wage offer. We will be back at the negotiating table on May 11 and 12, and will keep you up to date about the process.

If you have any questions, please contact April Albrecht at aalbrecht@ufcw401.ab.ca (or by phone at 403-852-1707), or Chris O’Halloran at cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca (or by phone at 587-999-6448). Stay tuned for more updates!

February 2, 2026

Bargaining Picks Up Speed

We embarked on the second and third days of bargaining on January 14th and 15th of the new year with Seyd, following up on the exchange of proposals at the original start date of October 24, 2025.

“We did not make much progress in October, but the speed picked up in January,” said Chris O’Halloran, Executive Director for UFCW Local 401. “The employer focused on the non-monetary proposals, and did not want to deal with any issue that would improve compensation for their workers.”

Your Union’s negotiating committee members from Coliseum (see below) were joined by observers from 2 other FreshCo’s in Edmonton.

Tyler Larson – Meat Clerk
Connie Radcliffe – Front End
Sohni Malhotra – Front End
Gina Lipon – Grocery Clerk
Rick Schnieder – UFCW Local 401
Chris O’Halloran – UFCW Local 401

Your Union negotiating committee.

If you would like to know what was discussed, you can review the Union Proposals (UP) and the Company Proposals (CP) listed below.

Over three total days of bargaining, the Company and your Union discussed: UP1, CP1, UP2, UP3, UP4, CP6, UP7, CP7, UP8, UP9, CP9, UP10, CP10, UP13, UP15, UP16, CP17, and UP20.

We will keep you posted as further updates become available. If you have any questions about negotiations, or if you would like to attend bargaining and see the process for yourself, please contact Chris O’Halloran (by phone at 587-999-6448 or by e-mail at cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca) or Rick Schneider (by phone at 780-452-0362 (Ext. 1320) or by e-mail at rschneider@ufcw401.ab.ca).

January 30, 2026

FreshCo Brentwood bargaining kicks off

Your Union Negotiating Committee met with the company January 21 and 22, 2026 at the Calgary Union office.

The Union negotiating committee was represented by:
Jade Fong – Frontend
Aidan Corkle – Bakery, Deli, Meat
Claire Swanson – Frontend
Chris O’Halloran – Executive Director for UFCW Local 40
Teresa Ludwig – Labour Relation Officer for UFCW Local 401
Tia Wong – Relief Representative for UFCW Local 401

UFCW Local 401 believe in open bargaining – every member is welcome to attend and observe bargaining when we meet with the company. You can learn more about open bargaining at this link.

Member engagement is a huge part of successful negotiations. If you are interested in attending future bargaining, please let us know.

We were able to get agreement on a number of important issues such as:

Improved accommodation language if someone is injured
Improved language on workloads
Improved language on the Health and Safety committee
Improved language on the role of the union and union stewards

All together we were able to secure five pages of agreed-to items. Though these items need to be ratified by the membership before they become part of the collective agreement, this has been a good start at bargaining.

We are scheduled to return to the negotiating table May 5 and 6, 2026. If you have any question please contact Chris or Teresa.

September 25, 2025

FreshCo Heritage kicks off bargaining

Your union negotiating team met with the company on September 22 and 23.

UFCW Local 401 believes in open bargaining. If any member is interested in attending, please let Abdi Guled, your Union Labour Relations Officer, know.

Check out this video on open bargaining for more information:

Your Union negotiating committee

Anastasia Holleman – Meat/Deli Clerk, Heritage FreshCo
Oleksii Tiurin – Grocery, Heritage FreshCo
Abdi Guled – Union Labour Relations Officer, UFCW Local 401
Chris O’Halloran – Executive Director, UFCW Local 401

Proposals and next steps

At this first round of bargaining, both the Union and the company shared their initial proposals. The Union presented our priorities for improving wages, benefits, and working conditions. The company, however, did not table any monetary or benefits proposals this time, but indicated they plan to do so at the next round. Here’s where things stand and what to expect in the coming months:

You can find the Union’s ingoing proposal here.
You can find the Company’s ingoing proposal here.

We are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on December 8–9 and March 9–10.

“Our conversations with the company were productive, and we were able to get a clearer picture of some of the gaps in your current contract,” shared UFCW Local 401 Executive Director, Chris O’Halloran. “While they haven’t made any proposals on wages or benefits yet, we’re hopeful that the next round in December will bring real progress. Our focus remains on making sure the membership’s needs -especially in the face of rising costs- are front and centre.”

We will share the company’s proposed wage and benefit increases as soon as we receive them. We hope the company understands the needs of our membership and proposes a substantial increase to help members manage the rising cost of living.

Stay informed!

Want to keep up with the latest news on your contract negotiations? Visit the FreshCo Bargaining website anytime for updates, proposals, and resources: https://gounion.wpmojster.com/freshcobargaining2025/

For questions or concerns, reach out to:

Abdi Guled:
(780) 452-0362
aguled@ufcw401.ab.ca

Chris O’Halloran:
(403) 291-1047
cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca

September 10, 2025

Negotiations Start Off Slow at FreshCo Tamarack

Your Union negotiating committee met with your Operator, Wilson, and Sobeys’ lawyer, Michael, on September 3rd and 4th of last week.

Your negotiating committee was made up of:

Khushneet Kaur – Member
Arlene Santos – Member
Sam Nuako – Union Labour Relation Officer
Chris O’Halloran – Union Spokesperson

We were also joined by two members from the Milbourne Freshco store. At UFCW Local 401, we believe in being open and transparent with our members. That’s why we invite any Freshco member who’s interested in observing negotiation to attend and see how the process works.

To learn more about open bargaining, check out this video.

You can find the Union’s ingoing proposal here.

You can find the Company’s ingoing proposal here.

If you look at the Company’s proposal, you will notice that they are not proposing any wage or benefit improvements. We asked the Operator’s lawyer multiple times to give us a package of proposals about money that we could take back to our members, and they refused.

“It was a difficult set of negotiations,” said Chris O’Halloran, Executive Director and Union spokesperson during bargaining. “The Company lawyer refused to answer questions or justify their position throughout two days of bargaining.”

Added O’Halloran: “There are a lot of areas that could use improvement, but it is hard to negotiate when one side will not answer your questions.”

We will be back at the negotiating table with Wilson and Michael on November 27th and 28th. We are in the process of scheduling additional dates as well.

If you have any questions, please contact ULRO Sam Nuako at snuako@ufcw401.ab.ca or by phone at 780-452-0362 ext. 1813, or reach out to Chris O’Halloran at cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca or by phone at 587-999-6448.

September 4, 2025

FreshCo and Sobeys: one company, one fight

Are they really separate companies? We don’t think so, and we’re taking action to prove it.

Sure, you’ve probably been to a FreshCo before, Anna, and noticed lower prices on produce or fewer services available to you. All to diminish service to the customers, rake in the profits, and sell the idea that you’re saving big on the same products you’d find at other grocery stores.

But is that truly a deal for customers or just a smokescreen for a business model that cuts corners on workers and service while boosting corporate profits?

FreshCo operates under a franchise model, but some may suggest the puppeteer pulling the strings behind the scenes is the big corporation: Sobeys. That means FreshCo workers face an even tougher challenge when it comes time to negotiate collective agreements. Why? Because it’s not the multimillion-dollar corporation (Sobeys) sitting across the bargaining table. It’s the franchisee. Obviously, franchisees work with limited resources, while big corporations, like Sobeys, have deep pockets and the financial muscle to back them up.

UFCW Local 401 wants to change that in Alberta.

That’s why the union has recently filed something called a Common Employer Application with the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB). This is a legal request asking the Board to recognize that FreshCo and Sobeys are not truly separate companies.

Even though FreshCo stores may appear independent, we believe Sobeys makes the decisions, sets the rules, directs the work, and controls what happens on the ground. If that’s the case, Sobeys should be held accountable at the bargaining table when it comes to negotiating your union contract.

WHAT IS A COMMON EMPLOYER APPLICATION?

A Common Employer Application is used when a big company tries to hide behind a separate brand or franchise to avoid dealing fairly with workers, especially with unions. It’s a way to get the Labour Board to say, “No, you’re actually the same employer, and you can’t dodge responsibility.” This matters because right now, each FreshCo store negotiates separately, store by store, which weakens our ability to fight for better wages, benefits, and job security. When stores are divided, it benefits the corporation, not the workers.

WHAT DOES FRANCHISING REALLY MEAN?

Franchising is a business model where big corporations like Sobeys allow other people to run stores under their brand name, but in many cases, the corporation still controls major decisions like pricing, hours, staffing, and policies. It’s often used to avoid strong union contracts and reduce costs, which usually means cutting corners on workers’ wages and protections. It’s a way for multi-million-dollar companies to keep profits high by keeping workers weak and divided.

WHY DOES THIS MATTER NOW?

We’re living in uncertain times, the cost of living keeps going up, and our paycheques don’t stretch as far as they used to. That’s why it’s more important than ever for workers to stand together.

If you want to read our application to the ALRB, click HERE.

We’re following the lead of UFCW 1518 in British Columbia

Last year, UFCW Local 1518 made a similar Common Employer Application in British Columbia. Sobeys fought that application twice. And twice, the Courts ruled in favour of the union, finding that Sobeys and FreshCo are common employers.

We expect Sobeys to fight our Alberta application just as hard. But we’re ready.

What exactly does this mean for workers at Local 401?

If the Alberta Labour Relations Board agrees that Sobeys and FreshCo are common employers, it could be a game-changer for FreshCo workers across the province. Instead of negotiating separate contracts store by store, all FreshCo workers would bargain together, united under one voice. It would also be a game-changer for Safeway employees, as it would enhance our ability to push Sobeys at two levels instead of one.

Additionally, it would discourage Sobeys from converting Safeway stores into FreshCos, as it would send the message that they cannot easily weaken the union.

That kind of unity gives workers more bargaining power. Sobeys would no longer be able to play stores off one another or isolate negotiations. It means better coordination, stronger support, and more pressure at the bargaining table.

Simply put, we’d be in a much better position to win real improvements in wages, benefits, and working conditions.

Why should I care if I don’t work at Sobeys or FreshCo?

When UFCW Local 401 takes action, your bosses are paying attention. It sends a clear message: they can’t mess with you. It also makes them think twice about trying to restructure the business in ways that strip away your union rights, wages, or benefits.

That’s why it’s so essential we stand together behind Local 401’s strategies and tactics. We need to make it crystal clear to every employer that an injury to one is an injury to all.

It’s easy to feel powerless against big corporations on your own. But 401’s message is a collective one: all of us, united. It reminds the world that workers are never alone.

What Happens Next?

While the legal process plays out, UFCW Local 401 is still preparing for bargaining at each individual FreshCo location. We are at the table with nine of them out of over twenty different stores with different collective agreements.

Safeway bargaining is about to begin, and at those negotiations, we’ll be asking Safeway to guarantee that no stores will be closed and that no more locations will be converted to FreshCos.

In the meantime, we’re not waiting. We’re organizing, supporting members, and getting ready.

Questions or Concerns? Let’s Talk.

If you have any questions about the common employer application, or FreshCo negotiations, please reach out to:

Chris O’Halloran, Executive Director
cohalloran@ufcw401.ab.ca
587-999-6448

We’ll keep you updated as the legal process continues. In the meantime, stay strong and stay informed.

This is about standing up together for your rights, and we’re following the proven path paved by our union comrades at UFCW 1518 in BC.