The striking Newfoundland workers are asking for public solidarity in their fight for fairer wages and working hours.
Striking Dominion workers in Newfoundland have expanded their pickets to other retailers that are part of the Loblaw parent company's chains.
The workers have been out since August 22 fighting for decent wages and working hours in the wake of the cancellation of pandemic premium pay by Loblaw in June.
Loblaw posted $162 million in second quarter net profits, bringing total 2020 profits to nearly half a billion dollars. Meanwhile, from "March to September, during the first wave of COVID-19, the Weston family’s net worth increased a whopping $1.6 billion dollars."
Yet, in Newfoundland 80% of Dominion workers as classified as part-time and more than half earn minimum wage.
This is why workers have formed what their union, Unifor, describes as a "human solidarity chain at Kevin’s No Frills in St. John’s" on October 8.
According to a press release the "workers are distributing an information flyer while encouraging the public to support the strike by taking their grocery dollars elsewhere."
Unifor Local 597 (which represents Dominion workers) President Carolyn Wrice:
Over the past six weeks Loblaw has continued to sell its products at No Frills and Shoppers Drug Mart. While the company continues to rake in increased profits during the pandemic, it also continues to refuse to pay its frontline workers a living wage.
The workers have received tremendous support from the public during this strike and today we are asking them to join us in sending a message to Loblaw and its Chairman Galen Weston.
In recent days the union has also released a TV spot and leaflets outlining the reasons for the strike.
