Canada Safeway here will be changing the way it offers fresh meat products to its customers in the coming week.
On Saturday, the company is holding an all-day thank-you for most of the employees in its meat department—as well as a few from other departments—who opted to take a company buyout.
Safeway is ceasing the cutting of meat in its meat department here this week and a new system will be in place by next Sunday (Feb. 2), when the local store will be getting its fresh meats from a central packing plant in Winnipeg.
In December, 2001, it was reported the meat department would not be closed in the Fort Frances store. But according to manager Mike Scott, that wasn’t entirely true.
“It was just put on hold because of labour negotiations,” he said. “It wasn’t not going happen. It was just put on hold.
“I think, for the most part, people won’t even know,” he added. “They won’t see a difference on the counter.”
The store will have some new products to offer, including meatballs, meatloaf, and fresh hamburger patties. Scott said the meat will be pre-packaged and shipped here every day.
Staff still will be needed to price and stock the merchandise.
“It’s so hygienic,” Scott said of the new Winnipeg plant. “The meat is wrapped properly with state-of-the-art equipment that we don’t have.
“It probably will be fresher, not that we’re not providing fresh meat now,” he noted.
He explained the fewer people who handle the meat, the fresher it is. The new plant is automated and sterile. “It’s great technology,” Scott said. “I think as far as the customer goes, it will be better.”
Scott did say the local store has been lucky to have such qualified butchers on staff. He noted many places across the country are having a hard time finding qualified butchers.
“We’ve had some good butchers and as they retire, it’s going to be hard to find quality cutters,” he admitted.
The idea, said Scott, is to standardize the product in all Safeway stores. Some of the meat in the meat department here already is pre-packaged before arriving, such as chicken.
Scott said the change will affect the fresh beef, pork, lamb, and fish in this store, but not the deli.
“Sometimes people might think of it as a negative thing,” he noted. “Like any change, we’ll go through some growing pains. [But] when people see the product, they’ll wonder what’s happening.
“They’re gonna think the product is pretty nice.”
The store will be saying good-bye to 19 employees, who took the buyout, on Saturday. One of those is Jason Cunningham, who worked in the produce department.
“We were offered a voluntary buyout first,” he said. “I took that. I had a choice, the meat shop didn’t.”
Cunningham had another job lined up. He now works at the mill. “If you have something to go to, it’s all right,” he noted. “But it can be hard for others.
“I’m probably gonna buy my meat someplace else,” he added. “You won’t be able to go to the butcher and ask for it. If it’s not out on the floor, too bad.”
Scott said that isn’t exactly the case. He noted special orders can be filled within two days—for instance, if it is ordered Monday morning, it will be here Tuesday afternoon.
“When the whole thing rolls out next Sunday, we’ll have special order forms,” Scott said, saying it shouldn’t affect the people who normally order special cuts from the meat department, including tourist camps.
Scott is happy most of those taking the buyout are not leaving town entirely. Some have retired while others have been able to choose a new career path.
“The nice thing about the buyout part is somebody who wanted a push to look at what they wanted to do in five years got it,” he said.
“Nobody is leaving the community,” he added. “Some younger ones are deciding it might be time to go back to school.
“As far as their jobs, we’re saying good bye,” he said. “It’s always sad to see long-time employees leave.”
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
