Arbitration Awards Over $120,000 to National Grocers Workers (12/12/11)

Last year, activists protested the closing of the National Grocers warehouse at the Loblaw offices.

“I watched grown men break down and cry after the announcement,” said Bruce Lawrence, who worked in maintenance and as a forklift operator for 38 years at the National Grocers warehouse in Sudbury, Ontario.

On March 3, 2010, National Grocers’ owner Loblaw Companies Limited announced it was closing its Sudbury warehouse after 60 years, leaving more than 125 people without work. With only eight weeks’ notice, workers had to suddenly face a future without the job they had dedicated themselves to for years.

Adding insult to injury, Loblaw offered the workers the minimum amount allowed by law, going back on a promise to negotiate a fair and equitable severance. At the same time, managers were given an extravagant severance deal.

Protests and political pressure failed to move the company to do the right thing, but in November, and arbitrator’s decision awarded in excess of $120,000 to the laid off warehouse workers.

"This company closed a profitable warehouse and put all these people out of work. While nothing can change that now, at least this arbitration will help ease the transition into new careers for the workers there," said RWDSU Northern Joint Council President Derik McArthur.