Calgary Co-op staffing changes would cut 75 to 80 full-time jobs, union says

Seventy-five to 80 full-time jobs and 16 permanent part-time jobs at Calgary Co-op are being moved to casual hours, and the Union of Calgary Co-op Employees says the change lands hardest on workers with disabilities. Casual means no guaranteed hours and fewer benefits, which is the difference between a predictable paycheque and a shift you're called in for.

The affected jobs include front-end service clerks, the people who help customers carry groceries to their vehicles, and gas bar supervisors. Union president Kathy Carberry said affected employees have been offered casual positions instead.

Carberry said the people most affected are workers with disabilities, many of whom have worked for the co-op for decades, with seniority going back to the 1990s. "These are the ones that are being disproportionately affected by this decision," she said. "They're going to have a difficult time getting another job, and this has been their identity for 30 years."

The union says the changes arrived just ahead of the holidays, and that the lack of communication has been "shameful."

Calgary Co-op said the changes follow a recent review of front-end operations and that it is adjusting scheduled hours for some front-end team members. The co-op said it is working with the union on the collective agreement as it relates to the changes, and that where possible it is offering transfers to other departments or locations.

The union also claims a large number of affected employees are turning to the Calgary Food Bank since moving to casual hours. The co-op has not yet responded to that claim, and the union's next move is to take the question of transfers and the collective agreement into bargaining.