Welcome to the UFCW Local 247 information hub for the 2026 round of collective bargaining for BC Superstores and Distribution Centres.
This page is updated regularly. Bargaining updates will be shared with members by email and posted here, so please check back often.
Translation of this content is available by selecting your preferred language at the top right of this page.
March 13, 2026: Survey Ends, Bargaining Team Selected
February 19, 2026: UFCW Local 247 Launches Bargaining Survey and Call Out for Bargaining Team
February 10, 2026: Loblaw Agrees to Early Bargaining with UFCW Local 247
January 31, 2026: UFCW Local 247 Requests Early Bargaining
In response to member feedback received in previous surveys (here and here), we are doing bargaining differently this time.
One of the most noticeable differences is the structure of our union Bargaining Team.
Our union Bargaining Team will be comprised of UFCW Local 247 members supported by union leadership and staff. It is our goal to have at least one member from each location in the province on the Bargaining Team.
Within the Bargaining Team, we will have a large Bargaining Committee that meets face-to-face with the company. There will also be a larger Bargaining Council made up of members whose role is to provide updates, gather feedback, and engage members along the way.
In a survey held between February 19 and March 6, 2026, nearly 400 UFCW members from across BC expressed an interest in serving on our Union Bargaining Team.
In selecting from those applicants, our goal is to ensure that our Bargaining Team equitably represents the membership based on geography and store location, department, seniority, full-time/part-time status, and other demographics. We expect there will be approximately 70 members on our team.
We have already sent email notices to those who applied, and we are now registering those selected so they can attend an upcoming Bargaining Conference in Surrey on April 8-10, 2026.
Why hold a bargaining conference? Our Bargaining Team, made up of members from every workplace in BC, is going to be very involved in the bargaining process and will be providing updates to members throughout the bargaining process.
Many of those involved will be new to the bargaining process. This conference is a chance to share information on how the process works and the key role of Bargaining Team members in negotiating a fair and strong collective agreement. We’ll also be debating and discussing the priorities shared by the members in the bargaining survey.
After the Bargaining Conference, we will share the details of all those who will be on the Bargaining Team, including those who will serve on the Bargaining Committee and Bargaining Council.
Curious or have questions? Please reach out to your UFCW Local 247 union representative.
The following is our proposed timeline for the bargaining process. For more general information on how collective bargaining works, see our Bargaining Basics page.
Members share their ideas and priorities for bargaining through a member survey.
Members can express their interest in serving on the UFCW Local 247 union bargaining team by answering "YES" to the question in the survey and providing further information about why they want to perform this important role.
Your union will review survey respondents and select roughly 70 UFCW Local 247 members, who will be invited to serve on the union's bargaining team.
We want to ensure that our bargaining team equitably represents the membership based on geography and store location, department, seniority, full-time/part-time status, and other demographics.
We will also select alternates.
Results will be shared with those selected by March 13, 2026.
The union bargaining team will come together at a bargaining conference in Surrey to hear from experts, understand the issues at play, and discuss and develop bargaining proposals.
Bargaining team members will also receive special training on how we are using engagement and communication to increase member participation and solidarity in bargaining.
Coming out of this conference, we will form a bargaining committee and bargaining council with specific roles and responsibilities.
Over several full weeks of meetings held between April and July, your bargaining committee will meet face-to-face with the employer.
Your bargaining team members will provide updates to you throughout the process, both by email and in person updates in your workplace.
One of our key conditions for early bargaining is that we reach a deal before the anniversary of the expiry of the agreement.
If no deal is accepted by our members by July 22, 2026, then we will end the process and prepare for bargaining as usual in 2027.
If a deal is accepted by membership vote, then the collective agreement will be renewed with the newly negotiated terms.
