UFCW Local 247
200-14936 32 Ave. V4P 3R5 Surrey, BC, Canada

Every measure counts!

The next Telephone Town Hall for UFCW 247 members takes place on Thursday, November 19, at 7:00 pm (PST). You can also dial in to the meeting by calling 1.877.229.8493, with ID #116389 and following the prompts. Take the call on your computer: the Telephone Town Hall call can also be accessed on your computer using this site: https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php... Should you have a phone number registered outside of the Pacific or Mountain time zones but wish to participate, you can dial 1.877.229.8493, with ID #116389. CRTC regulations prohibit us from calling after 9:30 pm in the time zone where your cellphone is registered. If you would prefer we call you, please provide a local phone number by contacting the union office at 1.800.667.2205 or by clicking here: http://www.ufcw247.com/tools/address.cfm

UFCW Local 247 has members living in every corner of B.C., and beyond. To better connect our widespread membership with the latest news and information from the union, we use Telephone Town Halls 4 times per year. This Telephone Town Hall for UFCW 247 members will take place as follows: DATE: Thursday, November 19 TIME: 7:00pm (Pacific time) If we have your current phone number, all you have to do is answer your phone when we call you on November 19! (If we have your cellph...one number on file, that is the number we will call; otherwise, we will call your landline number.) You can also dial in to the meeting by calling 1.877.229.8493, with ID #116389 and following the prompts. Take the call on your computer: the Telephone Town Hall call can also be accessed on your computer using this site: https://video.teleforumonline.com/video/streaming.php... Should you have a phone number registered outside of the Pacific or Mountain time zones but wish to participate, you can dial 1.877.229.8493, with ID #116389. CRTC regulations prohibit us from calling after 9:30 pm in the time zone where your cellphone is registered. See more

Workers at Indigo Chapters Pinetree have taken the first step towards making their workplace better by seeking to join our local https://www.instagram.com/p/CF3J1MsAqIT/?igshid=1kjid38ah12

November 11 is Remembrance Day. Over a century ago, on November 11, 1918 at 11 a.m., the First World War came to a conclusion with the signing of an armistice agreement that brought an end to the hostilities. Each year since, at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, people from across Canada stand together as a community to honour and remember the more than 118,000 Canadian military personnel who have died in action since 1914 making the supreme sacrifice in the ...line of duty. We also pay respect to the more than two million Canadians who have served and continue to serve in the military to protect our rights and freedoms. This November 11, on Remembrance Day, let us honour and remember those in military service by acknowledging their courage and sacrifice, and by cherishing the peace we live in.

Congratulations and a big thank-you to the members at Superstore #1523 in Chilliwack, who raised over $12,000 in their store for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada and their efforts to find a cure for blood diseases. "The members in this store have been really active when it comes to raising funds for leukemia research," said Dan Goodman, Secretary-Treasurer of UFCW Local 247, "and we wanted to acknowledge that they have been 'giving back' to the community for a long... time." Goodman and Union Rep Heather McLaverty recently visited the store to pass out pins to members in recognition of their stellar fundraising work. Pictured L-R are: Heather McLaverty, member Barbara Chandrock, and Dan Goodman. A special shout-out to Barbara Chandrock ($550), Bonnie Barber ($525), Curtis Penner, and the members at Superstore #1523.

Bursaries are now available to members who have recently taken a course/program with the purpose of updating their skills in an area relevant to their work. Members in good standing with UFCW Local 247 may request a bursary application by emailing [email protected], please include your full name, employee number, workplace and department. Applicant’s proof of successful course/program completion and tuition receipts from a recognized Canadian learning institution must acc...ompany the application. Bursaries are limited to one per member and will be awarded on a first come, first serve basis.

Centennial Foods members ratify new contract...UFCW Local 247 members employed at Centennial Foods recently ratified a new 3-year contract by a vote of 78%. Centennial Foods is a meat, poultry, and seafood restaurant supply company based in Richmond, employing approximately 65 members of UFCW 247.

The UFCW Children's Christmas party has been cancelled for 2020. The annual Children's Christmas party for UFCW Local 247 and Local 1518 members and their families will not take place this year due to the Covid-19 crisis. Held each year in early December at Burnaby’s Heritage Village Museum, the UFCW Children's Christmas party has been hugely popular, with upwards of 2,000 UFCW members and their family members taking part.... In a normal year, invitations for the Children's Christmas party would be sent in the mail shortly. No invitations will be sent this year, but we look forward to resuming the UFCW Christmas party in 2021, should public health authorities deem such events safe.

Great news! UFCW 247 is now on Instagram! Follow us for news, updates and photos @ufcw247 www.instagram.com/ufcw247

The September 30 deadline to apply for UFCW 247 Scholarships & Education Grants is 2 days away! Get your application in to receive one of 10 Scholarships or one of 8 Education Grants awarded each year by UFCW Local 247 to members and their dependants. Please note the applications can be completed online!... Deadline for submission is 5:00pm on September 30. For more information and details, please go to: http://www.ufcw247.com/education/scholarship-info.cfm

Retail workers at Indigo bookstore in Mississauga join the union http://www.ufcw.ca/index.php

On-line Food Safe Certification is now available for all our union members! Free! All you need is a computer with a mic, camera and latest version of Chrome or Firefox. Tablets and smart phones are not supported at this time. Learn and take the test at your own pace, from the comfort of your home. Once registered, you have 30-days to get certified. For details and to register, visit: http://www.ufcw247trainingcentre.com//courses-by-category.

The phones at the Surrey office are now working.

Voting in the October 24 BC Election. Elections BC has all the info you need to vote, including by mail-in ballot! Please click the link for more info and to apply for a mail-in ballot (it's easy!): https://tinyurl.com/yyvcty8m

UPDATE - SEPT. 23: Telus is working on our phone lines today and we are hoping to have our phones working by end of day. If you need to reach your Union Rep and can’t get through by phone, please email them directly or at: [email protected] We are currently experiencing phone issues at our Surrey Office. If you are trying to reach your Union Rep, please email them directly or email us at: [email protected].... We will update this post once our phone lines are working properly.

NEW DEADLINE OF OCTOBER 16 TO APPLY FOR BDM SCHOLARSHIPS! As college and university students begin the new school year while also grappling with the challenges presented by COVID-19, UFCW Canada has extended the deadline for this year’s BDM Scholarship program to give members and their family members more time to apply for the $1,000 union scholarship. During these difficult times, our union wants to give students a break as they adjust to the new realities of COVID-19, so w...e are extending applications for the UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship until October 16, says Paul Meinema, the national president of UFCW Canada. We recognize that getting back to normal is taking time, and that is why we are giving students another 16 days to apply for one of eighteen UFCW Canada BDM Scholarships for 2020. Each year, the UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship offers a total of $18,000 in scholarships to UFCW Canada members and their families. The new deadline to apply for this year’s BDM Scholarship is October 16, 2020. You have until October 16 for a chance to win 2 iPads and $18,000 in scholarships through the the 2020 UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship program, time is running out for your chance to win one of 18 scholarships worth $1,000 each, or one of two Apple iPads. Each year, UFCW Canada offers 18 UFCW Canada BDM Scholarships to active members and their family members for post-secondary study. Applying for the BDM Scholarship program is easy: no essay is required that's right, no essay! and it only takes two minutes to apply online. In addition, as part of the UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship Contest, you can win an iPad by referring students to apply for this renowned union scholarship. Every member who refers eligible students to apply for a UFCW Canada - BDM Scholarship receives a chance to win one of two brand new Apple iPads! One iPad is randomly drawn, while the other is awarded to the entrant who refers the most eligible students. Last year, hundreds of members were referred to the UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship program. The deadline for both the UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship application and the BDM Scholarship Contest is now October 16, 2020. Don't miss this amazing opportunity to win! To apply for the UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship, click here: https://tinyurl.com/y4fjbegy To refer eligible students to apply for the scholarship, click here: https://tinyurl.com/yycu2vgc The UFCW Canada BDM Scholarship is one of more than 25 union scholarships available to members and their families every year, totaling more than $300,000 in support. To see a full list of scholarships offered by UFCW Canada, or to learn how UFCW members and family members can earn university and college credits completely free of charge, visit our Union Scholarships webpage.

Sobeys will be rolling out severance packages for eligible Local 247 members working in Safeway stores. Local 247 meat cutters and meat, deli, seafood clerks at Safeway in BC will receive the offer directly from the company. There will be a minimum of 10 meat cutter severance packages, and 32 Meat, Deli, Seafood clerk severance packages awarded.... Members will have until Friday, October 16th 2020 to submit their decision. The company will advise the successful applicants no later than Monday, October 26th 2020. Release dates for the successful applicants will be mid-January 2021, at the employer’s discretion, based on the operational needs of the employer. Those members who may be off on a leave of absence of any kind may have their offers mailed to their homes. Members should make sure to check their phone numbers and addresses with the Employee Service Center at 1-800-295-8329 for accuracy if they have moved or have forgotten to update the employer of an address change.