(Toronto) Metro and Unifor returned to the bargaining table a month after thousands of workers at the Toronto grocer began a strike, the union said Tuesday.
Hours earlier, an Ontario court had granted Metro an interim injunction to restrict picketing by employees at the city’s distribution warehouses.
“The union remains focused on reaching a fair collective agreement to end the strike with a contract that provides decent work and wages to frontline grocery store workers,” the Unifor spokesperson said. , Paul Whyte, in a statement.
Metro spokeswoman Marie-Claude Bacon confirmed the return to the bargaining table.
More than 3,700 workers at 27 Metro stores in the Greater Toronto Area have been on strike since July 29, after rejecting an initial tentative agreement.
Metro announced on Friday that it had sought an injunction against the Unifor union and the workers, on the third day of protests at its distribution warehouses. These prevented the delivery of fresh produce, including fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products, to its stores across the province.
After the injunction was granted, the Montreal grocer announced that deliveries would resume to restock stores as soon as possible. Bacon said the grocer remains engaged in the bargaining process and urged the union to come back to the table.
The injunction, effective immediately, prohibits strikers from unlawfully blocking or delaying access to Metro’s distribution centers and corporate offices, but allows them to delay delivery vehicles for up to five minutes.
It expires Friday, September 1 at midnight. The restricted locations also include a Food Basics store located in the grocer’s offices on Dundas Street West.
Interim injunctions are meant to put rules in place before a final decision on whether the law has been violated, which can take some time, David Doorey, associate professor of labor and employment law, explained in an email. job at York University.
Metro will have to seek another injunction if the strikers resume their restricted activities after the expiration, Doorey said.
However, Mr. Whyte explained that Unifor had ended the picketing at Metro warehouses as a “good faith gesture” as part of the resumption of talks.
Unifor previously said it was waiting for a better pay offer from Metro before returning to the bargaining table.
“If there’s one group of workers who deserve respect, decent pay and decent work, it’s the grocery store workers in this country,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. to reporters during a secondary picket last Wednesday.
The strikers are demanding the return of their $2 per hour pandemic “hero bonus”.
Metro said last week it had filed an unfair labor practice lawsuit against Unifor, arguing the union was not bargaining in good faith by refusing to return to the bargaining table.