Largest local in North America will have 60,000 members
Two Ontario locals of the United Food and Commercial Workers have voted to merge. Local 175/633 was already a consolidated local, and it is joining Local 1977 as of August 1, 2011.
The two locals already had a few employers in common, including grocery stores in the Loblaw’s chain.
The new organization is being touted as having several benefits: a more powerful position in negotiating with Loblaw’s, access to professional staff and lower dues.
In recent years, the UFCW has seemed to favour the amalgamation of several locals into a larger, province-wide local, as was the case with Local 1400 in Saskatchewan.