Good afternoon. Thank you for the invitation to participate in the House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.
First of all, a quick reminder about the Teamsters Union. We represent more than 125,000 workers in Canada in all industries that are crucial to the Canadian society. In the retail and grocery sector, we defend the interests of several thousand workers from one end of the country to the other.
For the Teamsters Union, the COVID-19 premium paid to grocery store workers was greatly appreciated. However, the withdrawal of this bonus sends a contradictory message to workers whose wages are largely insufficient to help them live and prosper.
Before I go any further in my reflections, I would like to take a little trip back in time to give you a quick snapshot of the situation in this industry. First, I must say that I worked in the industry for 11 years in the 1980s and 1990s. I held several positions and have fond memories of that time, but I knew very well that I wasn't going to make a career out of it. The salaries weren't bad when you went up the ladder, but the social benefits and pension plans weren't enough because I wanted to start a family and buy a house and a car. In short, this industry didn't allow me to realize my dreams.
For people of my generation, Generation X, working in grocery stores was also not highly valued. So I made the decision to go back to school. I was hired by the Teamsters, who increased my salary significantly, starting in my first year. This shows the difference between retail, grocery stores and the union world, of course.
Let's move forward now to the 2000s. At the time, I sat as a Teamsters Canada representative on the Canadian Food Industry Council, an organization made up of representatives of major grocery stores and unions. Our goal was to restore this industry's reputation in order to attract new talent.
The retention issues were exactly the same then as they were in the 1990s: inadequate salaries, poor promotion opportunities, low job value, an unattractive pension plan and inadequate group insurance. Here we are now in 2020, and the decision is made to withdraw the COVID-19 bonus from grocery store workers under the pretext that the pandemic is over, which is not the case, by the way.
It was recently pointed out to me that, now, it is not uncommon to observe that workers with more than 10 years of seniority earn barely more than minimum wage in Quebec. The example of one of our members comes to mind because, after more than 10 years of good and loyal service, she earns barely $14 an hour in a large grocery store chain. So I ask whether someone can live on $25,000 a year today, in 2020. I don't think so.
I have taken the time to take you on a 30-year journey back in time to make you understand that the issues we face in this industry are not limited to the COVID-19 bonus of $2 an hour. We all agree that the pandemic has highlighted how important these workers are to their fellow citizens. We believe that these men and women deserve better. We therefore recommend that premium be permanently integrated into salaries. We must also significantly improve pension plans and group insurance. These men and women have contributed a great deal to the well-being of the population, so I think we must return the favour.
Again, thank you for the invitation. I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.