ST. JOHN’S – Today Loblaw Companies Limited announced a restructuring, offering workers buy-out packages with the goal of eliminating 44 full-time positions at Dominion stores across Newfoundland, as the company continues to exploit part-time workers to fill shifts.

“These grocery stores are open 7 days a week and yet shamefully Loblaw is pretending that there aren’t enough hours to justify full-time work,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. “Over 70 per cent of these Dominion workers were already classified as part-time prior to today’s action. It’s clear that Loblaw doesn’t want to provide full-time work to Canadians, despite making more than 800 million in profits last year.”

Unifor maintains the ‘restructuring’ action is part of an ongoing strategy by the retail giant to shift full-time hours to a part-time workforce.

“We will seek to begin early bargaining where the union will demand a thorough audit of all department schedules to determine if the company is unfairly using part-time workers in a full-time capacity,” said Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Lana Payne.

The more than 1,200 Dominion workers, represented by Unifor Local 597, are employed at 11 stores across the province.

“We cannot allow one of the largest, and most profitable, companies in Canada to eliminate the very concept of a full-time job and turn what should be dependable work into yet another side-hustle in the gig economy,” said Unifor Local 597 President Carolyn Wrice.

Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.