As a steward at Ryder Supply Chain Solutions Canada, Michael Creary is always looking out for his co-workers.
“Helping people has always been something that I like doing,” Michael said. “Being a 1006A steward has made it easier. Helping people should be something everyone wants to do at some point.”
Michael said UFCW has a positive impact on his life. Workers at the Ryder warehouse joined Local 1006A in 2019.
“UFCW has been able to help me to secure fairness for folks, and with the union, people are able to make issues known,” Michael said. “It’s a comforting feeling to know you have an organization like UFCW, which is willing to go above and beyond to help people.”
Members come to Michael with questions about many issues, including overtime, vacations and job protections.
“It’s about helping people understand their rights.”
He is proud of the union’s role in helping two members, who had applied for and were awarded new positions at the company. After the members were trained, the company, citing policy, decided to withdraw the positions on their start date.
“We found that was a bit egregious – when the members first approached me, they were upset,” Michael said. “In their mind, they thought this was done – an irreversible decision by the company – but not so with UFCW.”
After Michael listened to the members, he contacted his union representative. The union worked hard to resolve the issue, taking the case to arbitration. Eventually, the positions were reinstated.
“I was elated because with UFCW, they have the option for resolution,” said Michael, adding that when the workplace was non-union, workers did not have a recourse.
Michael said there is no better feeling than being a UFCW member and a steward.
“When you have someone come up to you about some difficulties they are going through and you can offer advice and information to alleviate their concerns, and then, it actually works, it makes you feel good,” Michael said. “UFCW is almost like an extension of my family – you never feel alone.”
