The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Jonathon Naylor Editor When Extra Foods announced last week that it will shut down its Flin Flon store, the public was shocked. So shocked that almost instantly came a slew of rumours about what will become of the vast building following the Oct. 15 closure date. The most prevalent theory? That the store will be transformed into a No Frills outlet, as that chain of grocery stores is owned by the same company as Extra Foods, Loblaw. But while Loblaw has swapped Extra Foods for No Frills in some other markets, union rep Blair Hudson said the company has made it clear that this is not in the cards for Flin Flon. 'Not happening' "They've advised us that that's not happening," said Hudson, northern Manitoba rep for the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). He said the union was further told that plans for the building are up in the air, the same line given to The Reminder last week. Loblaw's Extra Foods-to-No-Frills conversions have been panned by critics, particularly in B.C., as a means of rolling back wages and benefits while remaining in existing markets. But Hudson said UFCW's contract with Loblaw would make any such plan problematic in Manitoba. It specifies that the union represents workers at all existing and any new stores operated in the province by Westfair Foods, a regional division of Loblaw. Westfair could open a No Frills store in Flin Flon, Hudson said, but the company would have to accept both the existing collective bargaining agreement and the current employees. For its part, Loblaw would not discuss the matter with the media. "As you can appreciate, we don't comment on rumour or speculation," said spokesperson Craig Ware. See 'Hudso...' on pg. 7 Continued from pg. 1 With closure now a little over two months away, Hudson said he is generally satisfied with Loblaw's approach to helping the 45 affected employees. The company is offering workers jobs at stores in other communities, and Hudson said some of them will take advantage of the offer. Hudson is disappointed that relocation allowances are not on the table, but the company is paying out severance and did meet its 10-week notification requirement to the workforce. The union will also help workers file for Employment Insurance. Loblaw says the store is not profitable, a claim that the union accepts. Yet Hudson remains puzzled by the failure of the outlet. Unlike some shoppers, he never saw the 42,000 sq. ft. location as too large for Flin Flon. He pointed out that both The Pas and Swan River have stores the same size, as well as major competitors, yet they "seem to be surviving and doing well." 'Very disappointing' "It's very disappointing that they're closing the place," said the Thompson-based Hudson. "And again, like I said before, they're closing the place with so little warning to the employees and the management team to try and turn things around. That is still a frustration with the union." Ware, the company spokesperson, laid to rest another rumour when he confirmed there are no plans to close the Extra Foods outlets in The Pas and Swan River. To much fanfare, the Flin Flon location opened on February 10, 2004, the last of three 'big box' stores at the Flintoba Shopping Centre. With a workforce of 45, the store is a major employer by Flin Flon standards. Nearly 40 per cent of the employees, 17, are full-time.
