Terrace Shoppers Drug Mart and its employees union are returning to the table today and will be negotiating throughout the weekend to try to bring an end to the strike that has lasted almost three months.
“The Union Bargaining Committee and the Employer will resume bargaining on July 27 2012, and continue through the weekend to discuss the outstanding issues that remain in negotiations for a new contract for members employed at Shoppers Drug Mart #266,” read a statement from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1518 (UFCW) released at 3 p.m. on Friday.
This is the second time the two sides have negotiated since Lakelse Ave. Shoppers Drug Mart workers began job action on May 1. The last round of talks, held earlier this month under the supervision of mediator Grant McArthur, ended with the employee membership rejecting the owner’s offer by a vote of 85 per cent.
The union has so far not released how many of its members took part in the vote which resulted in the rejection.
Following the vote, union tactics escalated, with a slew of anti-Shoppers radio ads and union leaders visiting Terrace to meet with members and jumpstart a leafletting campaign at the Park Ave. Shoppers Drug Mart, which associate owner of the Lakelse location, Barb Rea, also owns and is not unionized.
The employees are asking for wage increases, as well as benefits and contract language improvements.
More to come.