Employees at Sobeys distribution centre in Terrebonne go on strike

A Sobeys grocery store is seen in Halifax on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Workers at a Sobeys distribution centre in Terrebonne have gone on strike after negotiations between the company and the union broke down this week.

About 190 workers at the automated food warehouse in Montreal’s northern suburbs walked off the job Monday night, said Kim Bergeron, a lawyer representing the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 501.

She said the union and the company have reached an impasse after more than a dozen meetings since November, with wages and benefits emerging as the main sticking points.

The strike comes at a time when supply chain problems are already leaving Canadian grocery store shelves less stocked than usual.

Sobeys spokeswoman Jacquelin Weatherbee said the company has contingency plans in place to support its IGA stores in Quebec from nearby distribution centers.

She added that the company was disappointed, but hoped to get the union back to the bargaining table.

-- This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Feb. 9, 2022.