The unionized employees of Stella's Cafe on Sherbrook Street are meeting Sunday to discuss the terms of their newly inked contract which was finalized late last month.The collective agreement comes nearly a year after a social media campaign called Not My Stella's was launched about workplace treatment at the Winnipeg chain. Shortly after the Instagram account went up in November, dozens of current and former employees posted instances of sexual harassment, discrimination, bullying and abuse from senior staff.
"They'll have a unified voice with their employer so it means they will have the assistance of the union to bring their issues forward to the employer," said Jeff Traeger, the president of UFCW Local 832, the union that represents employees of Stella's on Sherbrook and in Osborne Village.
Stellas has made headlines in recent times for a culture of sexual harassment in the workplace, so it is great that these workers have a union contract. I just hope Stella's doesn't give the staff at its non-unionized outlets a little bit more as a way of undermining the union effort.
