Montréal (QC) – February 9, 2023 – UFCW Canada Local 500 is glad to announce that the 307 union members working at the Voilà by IGA centre located in Montreal have ratified a first contract. The online grocery concept of Voilà by IGA being at its first steps, the parties have convened to opt for evolutive collective agreements that allow reopening the language before the end of the collective agreement, so they continuously improve the work conditions of the union members including schedules, overtime, etc.

Two days before the electronic vote held from September 25 to 30, 2022, the terms of these first collective agreements were individually presented to all workers. Strong with a 71% participation rate, the union members approved their new working conditions at an 89% proportion. The two collective agreements were signed on January 25, 2023, after a dozen of harmonious meetings.

In October, UFCW International President Mark Perrone visited Montreal to welcome our new members to the union. He visited the Voilà location to congratulate them on their successful organizing campaign.

“These workers from the online orders Voilà by IGA centre have chosen to join UFCW Local 500 because they knew our great organization would provide them a true power relationship while negotiating progressive collective agreements meeting their needs. The signatures of these first ground-breaking and evolutive collective agreements are a proof of that,” declares UFCW Local 500 President Antonio Filato.

This new agreement comes with the improvement of the hiring rate to $18.20 for our members at the warehouse, and to $19.20 for delivery people. Furthermore, the union members that are progressing in the wage scale will benefit from a salary raise of $0.60 every 1,000 worked hours. This means that a full-time worker will obtain up to two salary raises in the same year.

Main facts about these agreements:

• Reduction of salary steps allowing union members to reach the maximum rate after 14,000 cumulated worked hours;
• Premium of $1.50 per worked hour for the team leader;
• Premium of $1 per worked hour for the night and freezer shifts, and trainers;
• Premium of $0.50 per worked hour the fork-lift workers;
• Introduction of the UFCW Dental Plan fully paid by the employer and reimbursing 80% of dental fees

More than 35,000 UFCW Local 500 members work at over 650 locations in Quebec. To find out more about the outstanding work of UFCW 500, visit the Local Union’s website.

How can I gain the benefits of a UFCW contract?

Are you a non-unionized worker who would like to enjoy the benefits of a UFCW Canada collective agreement? Do you and your co-workers want to gain the union advantage at work? Join Canada’s best union, UFCW Canada, to make your workplace better today. Click here to join the union now.