05/08/2026
This is what solidarity looks like!
Your union belongs to you, and we're here to support you no matter which way you vote on a contract offer. That's the message President Thomas Hesse and Secretary-Treasurer Richelle Stewart brought to Sofina members yesterday as they made a difficult decision.
One of the most critical parts of collective bargaining comes when members have to vote on a company offer. When you have to decide whether an offer is good enough, there are many factors to consider.
Is the money good enough? Are there other positives that make the offer worth voting for? Are there concerns about things like the length of the contract, or whether it really provides a living wage, or other things the employer wants to implement that might be a problem for you?
Our members at Sofina's Calgary plant are now weighing those choices. As always in any bargaining process, we can do our best to provide all the information they need to make an informed choice.
But in the end, their vote belongs to them. This is their choice. Our elected officers led a large staff contingent down to the plant to make sure they knew that their Union would be with them no matter what choice they made.
"We are here for one simple reason," said President Hesse. "And that is to support you. Your Union belongs to you, your decision belongs to you, your vote belongs to you. But regardless of what that vote is, we will be there with you every step of the way."
This is a simple truth of our Union, no matter what workplace you belong to. Whatever your decision, whichever vote you choose when you're presented with an offer, we will be there to support you. That's what solidarity looks like!
