Co-op Atlantic layoffs, closures leave employees, customers reeling
Workers must prep stores for liquidation as search for new jobs begin
Co-op Atlantic employees are still reeling from Thursday's announcement that about 400 of them will lose their jobs in the coming weeks.
"People are still going through some things," said Jamie Cook, the assistant manager at Moncton's Mapleton Road Co-op, one of the locations slated to close.
"We knew that this was happening," he said, since the Co-op announced in April it would be getting out of the food and gas sectors.
It's hard on everybody, especially with the years of service everybody has given.- Jamie Cook, assistant manager
"But when it first comes out it's hard on everybody, especially with the years of service everybody has given," said Cook, who has put in 16 years.
"Overall, working together with each other, we'll be able to pick ourselves back up and move forward."
The other three stores to be closed include:
- River Road Co-op (Grand Bay-Westfield, N.B.)
- Queen Street Co-op (Charlottetown, P.E.I.)
- Carol Wabush Co-op (Labrador City, N.L.)
The layoffs and store closures do not affect jobs at the 49 Co-op member stores across the region. Those stores employ 2,200 people and most of them now use Sobeys as their wholesaler.
"They've had EI here, they've offered whatever assistance they can, we've had our human resources involved and they're doing a good job of finding work for everybody, so it's not like we've been left in the dust," said Cook.
"They are trying their best to find work for everybody and in New Brunswick, it's tough to find work as it is right now."
Customers greeted by locked doors
Co-op customers were surprised by the immediate closure of the Mapleton Road store on Friday morning. Many people arrived to buy groceries, only to be met by locked doors.
"I'm disappointed, I really am disappointed," said William O'Flaherty, who was among them.
"I've been coming to this store for years and years and I've always gotten wonderful service here. I've been a member ever since I came to Moncton many, many years ago. And I'm just sorry to see them go, I really am."
Flaherty says he will likely do his shopping at Walmart with the Co-op out of the picture.
But the store isn't closed for good. A sign on the door read: Store Closed Friday. Will reopen Saturday for Mapleton members only.
Jamie Cook says there is still work to be done.
"Today what we're going to do is we're just going to clean up our store, merchandise it, talk to each individual staff member about what we can do to help. And starting tomorrow, we will open up our store to our [Mapleton] members.
"Saturday, Sunday and Monday will be for the membership to shop. After that, we'll open up to the public and start our liquidation process and go from there."
Cook said he isn't sure when the store will close for good.