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10 days after Members ratify, Rexall Pharma Plus announces 40 stores in Canada will close
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n Friday, April 27, Rexall Pharma Plus announced it would be closing 40 stores in Canada. Fifteen of the 40 locations fall under the UFCW Local 175 collective agreement. The company notified the Union of the decision to close these locations only immediately before they sent out notices to the stores. The Union is disappointed and concerned by the announcement, and Union representatives will continue discussions with the employer about the impact this decision will have on the affected Members. The news came as a shock and left many Members concerned about what this means going forward. Only 10 days earlier, 2,800 Members at Rexall Pharma Plus had ratified a new three-year agreement. The collective agreement does have provisions for bumping by seniority as well as enhanced severance language. There will be options available for affected Members. The new agreement established minimum employment guidelines, which created approximately 80 new full-time positions. The employer will also fill at least 101 new fulltime Keyholder positions by the end of the first year of the agreement. This position will have a rate of $18.25 per hour, which will increase to $19.25 per hour effective January 1, 2019.
All job classifications receive significant wage increases to the top rates over the life of the contract. This includes language to ensure rates stay ahead of the minimum wage. The three-year contract covers employees at 220 stores under the Rexall Pharma Plus banners. The parties met over eight days before requesting the assistance of a Ministry of Labour Conciliation Officer for the last five days of bargaining. “I’m proud of what the Union’s negotiating committee accomplished for the Members,” said President Haggerty. “But the company’s decision to close stores so soon after their employees ratified a new deal is a backhanded way to do business and does a lot of harm to employee morale.” The Union will keep Members informed as more information becomes available regarding the store closures. Any Members who have questions about the new collective agreement or store closures should speak directly to their Union Representative. Union Negotiating Committee: Cathy Amyotte, Vanessa Boodie, Janet Luff, Janet McMillan, Alison O’Brien, Cibelle Paquete, Irene Pauls, Susan Reddom-Ryckman, Rhonda Tilley, Sophia Verrydt, Union Rep Casey Magee, and Region 4 Director Chris Fuller. June 2018
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