Extra Foods will open its doors to business on Thursday (Nov. 30) after reaching an agreement during negotiations Tuesday (Nov. 21) involving high profile mediator Vince Ready.
Seventy-four per cent of workers voted to accept the agreement after 18 months of negotiations and one week on the picket lines.The vote shows employees resigned themselves to return to work following employer Westfair's "hardball" tactics that saw the Park Royal store close its doors for six months and has had Extra Prince George employees on picket lines since September, according to United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) spokesperson Thomas Cameron-Fawkes.
"I don't think it [74 per cent vote] is a sign of happiness. We're not at all happy," said Cameron-Fawkes. "These workers deserve far more than what they got."
The rollover contract is a short-term agreement expiring in 2008 that includes a lump sum payment to each member in lieu of raised wages.
Extra Foods owner/operator Craig Woida would not comment on the details of the agreement, but Cameron-Fawkes said workers were unwilling to accept a long-term contract with the current offer. "They understand that the employer has no respect for them and they're just there to earn a living," he said.
"The members were not prepared to accept a long term without a substantial wage increase now, and the employer was simply not prepared to pay his employees what they are worth without a very long strike/lock out. These people play hardball."
Woida said, however, that the atmosphere at Extra Foods is positive.
"We're back to work and we'll be open on the 30th and I think we're all pretty excited about that," he said.
Negotiations were underway for 18 months when workers issued a 72-hour strike notice Friday (Nov. 10) after two strike votes that showed 94 per cent support. Woida subsequently sold off his perishables at a substantial discount, but he said he has no regrets.
"We did what we had to do," he said. "We just want to move forward."
