KAMLOOPS, B.C. – Workers at the Hudson’s Bay in Kamloops have taken strike action and are encouraging the public to avoid shopping at the store until this labour dispute is resolved. The workers, members of United Steelworkers union (USW) Local 1-417, had issued a 72-hour strike notice to the company on Dec. 6. Their strike began at 9:30 a.m. today.
USW Local 1-417 members have been attempting to negotiate a fair and equitable collective agreement with Hudson’s Bay in Kamloops since July 2023, but the company simply has refused to even consider such a deal.
“Not only has Hudson’s Bay refused to pay a reasonable wage increase, it also continues to have concessionary items it wants to carve out of our 30-year-old collective agreement,” said Sean Ball, USW staff representative.
On Dec. 5, USW and Hudson’s Bay met at the B.C. Labour Relations Board with the assistance of a mediator in an attempt to reach an agreement. Hudson’s Bay chose to not move on its wage proposal of 1% for each year of the contract and held on to all of its unneeded concession demands.
“Our members have had enough, and during the busiest holiday time for Hudson’s Bay, it is time to send a message loud and clear that this is unacceptable. Our members will not put up with these bullying tactics from the company any longer,” said Jordan Lawrence, USW Local 1-417 financial secretary.
“We understand the holiday season is a busy time and we want to assure shoppers and other tenants at Aberdeen Mall that we will not be outside the main mall entrances and will only have our picket lines set up in front of the Hudson’s Bay entrances. We encourage customers to shop at the mall but respectfully ask that they honour our legal picket line and find their gifts elsewhere,” added Lawrence.
The Hudson’s Bay in Kamloops has been a unionized worksite since 1993. The workers’ only labour dispute was over their first collective agreement and lasted nine months.
The USW represents 225,000 members in nearly every economic sector across Canada and is the largest private-sector Union in North America, with 850,000 members in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.
Each year, thousands of workers choose to join the USW because of our strong track record in creating healthier, safer and more respectful workplaces and negotiating better working conditions and fairer compensation – including good wages, benefits and pensions.
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