Arbitrator William Hamilton has requested extra time to finalise a two-year contract with Safeway employees in Manitoba.
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Hamilton had been working towards a deadline of 27 March, which has now been put back to 15 April. He had been presented with so much information during the mediation talks he oversaw, that the grocery chain and union workers involved agreed he should have extra time for reflection.
Last November, the union (United Food and Commercial Workers) voted to accept binding arbitration to avoid a strike. All union members will receive details of the new contract through the mail.
Safeway had threatened to shutter Winnipeg outlets if the union did not agree to certain concessions, and the arbitration process is seen by all as a serious attempt to avoid this.
