Strike causes produce shortage
A strike at the Metro distribution centre means that some grocery stores will be short of fruit and veg this weekend. The union has rejected the paltry offer of an 11% wage increase over six years.
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Kate
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Ian 11:23 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
Good to know, I do shop at Metro for my bigger grocery items but if there’s a strike I will make a point of buying whatever I need short-term from smaller independents in the neighbourhood. I hope going to the Jean Coutu doesn’t count as strikebreaking (JC & Metro are affiliated ), I need to fill some prescriptions …
Ian 11:29 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
adendum: as most of the articles and even teh official Metro coporate release don’t name the union I did some digging.
It is the Syndicat des travailleurs et travailleuses des épiciers unis Metro-Richelieu–CSN.
https://www.csn.qc.ca/actualites/les-employe-es-dentrepot-et-du-siege-social-de-metro-rejettent-les-offres-de-lemployeur/
The Metro coporate site (corpo.metro.ca) helpfully points out who they own so I guess I won’t be filling prescriptions for a while.
“Metro, Metro Plus, Super C, Food Basics, Adonis and Première Moisson, and some 640 pharmacies primarily under the Jean Coutu, Brunet, Metro Pharmacy and Food Basics Pharmacy banners”
Kate 11:59 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
Ian, if your Rx involves anything you should be taking regularly, I think the union would forgive you refilling it at a Jean Coutu.
Ian 12:02 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
I’ll be good for the week, I guess after that I can see about getting them filled at a Pharmaprix for the duration. If I go off my pills my doctor would be super mad at me haha
Kevin 14:51 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
IIRC this strike is of head office workers and people at the company’s only produce distribution centre. It doesn’t affect any other goods.
Bert 14:54 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
Not knowing anything about the union structure in “a” pharmacy. Is the actual pharmacy and connected workers not supposed to be a separate entity? Think of the locations that have (or had) Canada Post outlets. It could also be argued that their services are essential.
Nicholas 16:15 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
Pharmacies can only be owned by pharmacists. All prescriptions and medications are sold by pharmacists, and though some are fully independent, most affiliate with a banner like Jean Coutu. Contracts vary but they pay money to the banner in exchange for services like advertising, leasing, buying products in bulk, professional/business help, etc. The money can be flat or a percentage of revenues, the latter of which is subject to 17 years of litigation. It appears pharmacists usually pay something like mid single digit percent of their revenues to the banner, but to not run afoul of the law you can’t share profits with non-pharmacists it’s in exchange for market price goods and services.
Long story short you could treat it as giving money to the company or you could treat it as not going to an independent business at a mall when there are people striking at a facility that services offices owned by the same company as the mall.
Ian 19:47 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
The good sold at the pharmacy come through their distribution contracts. It’s why you can use the same loyalty card at Jean Coutu and Metro, or conversely, Pharmaprix and Provigo.
jeather 20:50 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
I’d continue to buy prescription meds there at least, those are pretty far removed from the corporate name.
Ian 20:54 on 2026-04-04 Permalink
I hear you, but for purposes of solidarity I think the connection is relevant.
Nicholas 11:53 on 2026-04-05 Permalink
The goods sold at the pharmacy come through the PJC distribution centre, while the strikers work at the Metro distribution centre. When Metro bought PJC they put the founder’s grandson in charge and kept their separate headquarters and distribution centre in Varennes, with the Metro one in Laval. I agree that ultimately the CEO of Metro is in charge of both companies, but should we have boycotted IGA when Sobeys workers were striking last fall, or boycotted Exo when Alstom workers in Belgium and Brazil went on strike in the last few years?
Ian 14:02 on 2026-04-05 Permalink
Ah, I didn’t realize PJC has its own distribution centre.
Thanks for that.
TBH it’s not so much that I think any subsidiary being on strike means that you should boycott all other subsidiaries – that would get really complicated with the flip side of the coin, picketing all unionised business affiliated with CSN to support any CSN affiliated union that is on strike. My point is not to inadvertently violate a local picket. For example if Metro started getting its distribution through the PJC distribution centre then yes, I would also boycott PJC in solidarity with the Metro workers – though that would technically be scab labour which is against QC law, but that law gets bent sometimes.