Court Refuses to Block Teamsters Pickets at Sobeys’ Calgary Stores
A Calgary judge has rejected the request from Sobeys Capital Inc. to prevent striking Teamsters from picketing its stores in the city. The workers are employed at Sobeys’ Rocky View County distribution hub and a refrigerated warehouse in southeast Calgary.
In his written decision issued in November, Justice Feasby of the Court of King’s Bench declined to suspend a ruling by the Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) that permits Teamsters Local 987 to continue their lawful picketing at Sobeys-owned stores in Calgary. The case involves an ongoing strike and lockout affecting 251 warehouse and delivery workers.
Feasby’s judgment upheld the ALRB’s October 15 decision (2025 ALRB 126), which determined that Sobeys’ Calgary retail outlets count as legitimate “places of work” for striking and locked-out employees.
As a result, the union is allowed to picket at company-owned stores but not at independently franchised Sobeys locations across the city.
Author’s Summary
The Calgary court supported the labour board’s ruling, confirming that Teamsters can lawfully picket Sobeys-owned stores during the ongoing strike.