New Democrats condemn Loblaws layoffs driven by greed, calls on Trudeau to stop choosing Loblaws over workers

NDP MP Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach) released the following statement in response to news that Loblaws has issued layoff notices to 500 workers at the Northeast Calgary Loblaws distribution centres during union negotiations:

"Loblaws' profits have increased by more than $1 million per day — yet they're forcing 500 hard-working Alberta families to worry about how they'll put food on the table in the coming weeks.

New Democrats stand in solidarity with Teamsters Local Union 987. These layoffs are an intimidation tactic, designed to undermine the collective bargaining process. But it's not just Loblaws that's behaving badly here — it's the Trudeau government.

For too long, the Liberals have let big grocery corporations off the hook. While making windfall profits, grocery chains jacked up prices on Canadians, driving the cost of our groceries far higher than the actual cost of inflation. They refused to pay their workers a decent wage. But Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — whose party takes big donations from big grocery chains — refuses to take the side of workers. He refuses to tackle corporate greed. He refuses to take action on inflation.

He's standing with Loblaws. The NDP stands with workers.

What the NDP will do differently is tackle the corporate greed that takes advantage of Canadian workers. We'll stop leaving it all up to the Bank of Canada and the billionaire class, and instead get to work for the working class."