No Frills reaches deal with Unifor workers to avert strike at 17 Ontario stores

Unifor has reached a tentative deal on behalf of almost 1,300 No Frills workers across Ontario, the union said Sunday (Nov. 19), averting a looming strike that was set to get underway in less than 24 hours.

The union had announced the strike deadline on Thursday, affecting employees at 17 stores. The job action could have started as early as Monday.

No Frills is the discount grocery banner owned by Loblaw Cos. Ltd., the largest grocery company in Canada.

The 17 stores include locations in Toronto, Whitby, Ont., Niagara Falls, Ont. and elsewhere.

The No Frills workers – most of which are part-time – will now vote on the tentative deal from Monday to Saturday. Details of the deal were not released due to the coming vote.

Loblaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Metro workers at 27 stores across the Toronto area reached a five-year deal after a month-long strike this past summer.

About 2,700 workers there got an immediate raise of $1.50 an hour. Full-time and senior part-time workers will get an additional 50-cent raise in January, bringing their total pay increase over the coming months to $2-an-hour.