Court Refuses to Block Teamsters Pickets at Sobeys Calgary Stores
A Calgary judge has denied Sobeys Capital Inc.’s request to stop striking Teamsters from picketing at the company’s city stores during an ongoing labour dispute. The picketing involves employees working at Sobeys’ distribution hub in Rocky View County and a refrigerated warehouse in southeast Calgary.
In a written decision issued in November, Justice Feasby of the Court of King’s Bench upheld an October 15 ruling by the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB). The labour board had allowed Teamsters Local 987 to continue picketing Sobeys-owned locations in Calgary.
“The Calgary outlets were found to be legitimate ‘places of work’ for the striking and locked-out employees, permitting picketing at company-owned sites but excluding franchised locations.”
The decision pertains to 251 warehouse and delivery workers involved in the strike and lockout.
Key Details
- Labour dispute at Sobeys distribution centre and refrigerated warehouse in Calgary area
- Strike involves Teamsters Local 987 representing 251 employees
- Labour board ruling supports picketing at Sobeys-owned retail stores but not franchised stores
- Judge Feasby declined to override the labour board’s decision
This ruling affirms workers’ rights to picket at defined company workplaces during labour actions, reinforcing the ALRB’s authority in such disputes.
Summary: The court upheld a labour board ruling allowing Teamsters to picket Sobeys’ Calgary stores amid a strike, confirming the stores as valid workplaces under labour laws.