Safeway Bargaining
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Wage Review 2026
We have reached a tentative agreement on wage review negotiations affecting UFCW Local 247 members working in the Meat, Deli, and Seafood departments at Safeway locations across BC.
We will be putting these improvements to a ratification vote, and our bargaining committee is recommending members vote YES to approve the changes.
We invite all UFCW Local 247 members working at Safeway to attend a special virtual information session, where we’ll cover the outcome of wage review negotiations and answer any questions you may have. This is happening on Monday, June 22nd at 7pm through an online webinar to be held on Microsoft Teams. There will also be a ratification vote from June 23 at 9 AM PT to June 25 at Noon PT.
This page contains information about the information sessions and vote. There are also answers to some frequently asked questions about the Wage Review process.
We’ll be sharing the full details of the tentative improvements here and by email in advance of the meeting and voting.
Information Session - June 22 at 7 PM
We will be holding a special Information Session for UFCW Local 247 members on June 22 at 7 PM PT through Microsoft Teams.
In order to attend the special information session, you must register in advance.
Button not working? Copy and paste this link into your browser: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/f8f74aca-3b8a-4b76-9752-5701364f921c@9766528d-a4d9-4b41-b6f5-f8c3d3183863
Once you have registered, you should receive an automated email with a calendar invite and link to join the meeting on Monday, June 22, 2026, at 7PM PT.
It is possible that your confirmation email could arrive in your Junk/Spam folder, so please be sure to check for it there. It is also possible that you may need to download Microsoft Teams. Please do this in advance to avoid a delay in joining the meeting.
If you have registered, you should receive an email reminder shortly before the event with details on how to join.
Ratification Vote Details
A ratification vote on the tentative wage review improvements will begin on June 23rd at 9 AM PDT and run until June 25th at 12 PM PDT.
Voting will take place online. You will receive your voting credentials and information via email when voting opens on June 23rd.
Voting details will be sent from our secure, third-party voting service, SimplyVoting, from the email address vote@simplyvoting.com. Please watch out for it.
If you haven’t received your voting information, please check your Spam/Junk folder first and if you still have not received your voting details by Noon on June 23, please call our office for support.
Not getting our emails? We need your email address in order to issue you voting credentials.
Union staff will be available to assist members by phone from 9 AM to 7 PM on June 23-24 and through to the close of the poll on June 25 at Noon.
For help with voting, please call 1-888-361-8329 or email us at ufcw@ufcw247.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wage review?
The contract wage review stems from a clause in your current Collective Agreement (Letter of Understanding #22) which allows both the Union and the Employer to review wages during the term of the collective agreement. This wage review is strictly about the wages in the contract.
Because it is not a full round of bargaining, the scope of changes and the union’s tools are limited. Most notably, there is no ability to strike or lockout during this process.
The full collective agreement remains in place until 2028, when we will be able to bargain for greater changes.
What happens if members don’t vote in favour of the tentative agreement?
If members vote to reject this tentative agreement, we cannot simply return to the bargaining table. Under Letter of Understanding #22, any unresolved dispute from this wage review must go to final offer selection (FOS) interest arbitration, a process where both parties submit their own final offer, and an arbitrator selects one offer in its entirety. There is no splitting the difference.
Given that the arbitrator must consider the economic climate of the employer’s business and the interests raised in 2023 bargaining, there is a real risk the employer could submit a final offer that rolls the 2026 wage increase back to what was originally agreed to in 2023: 2%. If an arbitrator were to select that offer, members could end up with less than what is being offered today, with no recourse.
Your bargaining committee believes that the increases we were able to achieve through the negotiated wage review represent the best wage improvements available through this process, which is why they are unanimously recommending members vote yes.
Where can I learn more about the agreement?
You can learn more about the tentative agreement at our Safeway Teams webinar on Monday, June 22nd at 7pm. Your Union bargaining committee members and union representatives will also be visiting some stores throughout the week to answer any questions regarding the wage review.
Prior to the information session and voting, we will be sharing the full tentative agreement document by email and on this page: www.ufcw247.com/safeway-bargaining
You can also direct questions about the recommended tentative agreement to your union representative by calling or emailing them your questions.
When will the ratification vote take place? How can I vote?
The ratification vote for this tentative agreement will take place online through a secure voting platform and will run from Tuesday, June 23 at 9am PT to Thursday, June 25 at 12pm PT. Your voting credentials will be sent to you via your email when the vote opens.
You will be able to vote using any device with access to the internet.
If you don’t have a computer or consistent access to the internet on your phone or at home, the union will request that your store managers make the onsite computer available for voting so that everyone can participate.
Who do I contact if I don't receive voting credentials in my email inbox?
If you don’t get your credentials on Tuesday, June 23rd 2026 by 12pm PT, there are some steps you can take.
First, be sure to check your Junk/Spam folder. You should have received an email from vote@simplyvoting.com with your voting details and a link.
If you are sure that you did not receive voting details by email, please call 1-888-361-8329 between 9 AM PDT and 7 PM PDT on June 23-24 or email ufcw@ufcw247.com with your full name, store number, email address, and phone number.
Once we confirm your union membership, our team will work hard to get your voting credentials to you!
