Kamloops Sephora location first in Canada to unionize

Sephora employees in Kamloops are preparing for a contract negotiation after the province approved their bid to unionize.

The B.C. Labour Relations Board approved the application for the retail workers to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1518 today, Sept. 7.

Four years after the Aberdeen Mall location opened, they're now the first unionized Sephora retail in Canada and, possibly, in North America, according to the union.

"This is a worker-led organizing drive," Parm Kahlon, union managing director said. "If workers are having issues in the workplace, but they're not being resolved, sometimes workers will reach out to unions and that's exactly what happened here."

Union president Kim Novak said the effort highlights a "growing movement" of unionizing retail workers.

"It goes to show that no matter what the job, workers need a voice, and we’re so excited for the opportunity to represent the hardworking staff at Sephora," Novak said in news release the day of the application.

The Local 1518 represents more than 14,000 retail workers in B.C. and Yukon, according to its website. In Kamloops, they represent Safeway and SaveOn Foods employees.

Although the labour board approved the retail workers' bid to unionize, they will now begin the process of negotiating a contract with Sephora.

Kahlon said the Local 1518 negotiates "aggressively" to have contracts completed quickly. That means they usually set a six-month goal, but it varies by employer, Novak said.

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