November 13, 2026 – Surrey, BC. Employees at BC Wholesale Club stores recently received payouts because of a major province-wide grievance win by their union, UFCW Local 247. The win came as a result of the action of Ken Chen, a 20-year UFCW Local 247 member working in the grocery department of the Victoria store. With the support and advocacy of his UFCW Local 247 Union Representative, Ken’s attention to detail corrected a province-wide vacation pay calculation issue, putting money back in the pockets of BC Wholesale Club employees.

In the most recent round of Wholesale Club negotiations, it was agreed that part-time vacation pay would change from an annual lump sum payout to bi-weekly payments. There was no change to how vacation would be calculated, just that members would not have to wait to receive their vacation pay. They would receive it as they earn it.

Ken’s discovery was that the company had changed more than just the frequency of vacation pay – they changed the calculation.

Things weren’t adding up

“I usually check and calculate my vacation pay every year to make sure I get the right amount,” explained Ken. “I tried to calculate how much I would be getting this year to compare it with the previous contract. When things wouldn’t add up, I came to realize the problem.”

Upon investigation, it was found that more recent vacation pay calculations by the company were not based on total compensation, which should include “all monies received directly from the Employer,” including wages, premiums, overtime, bonuses and other similar payments. While vacation pay is specifically listed in the Collective Agreement, the employer’s calculations did not include it as part of an employee’s total compensation.

Vacation pay falls under the definition of wages under BC’s Employment Standards Act, and both the BC Wholesale Club Collective Agreement and the company’s long-standing practice reflected that. The change in calculation first appeared in November 2025.

Ken tried to resolve the issue at the store level. While the issue seemed clear, he understood there was nothing that could be done at that level. “I thought it might be better to take it to the union, because the issue involves a lot of people, not just me alone.”

Escalating action to resolve the issue

“When Ken came to me, I acted on it right away,” said Ken’s UFCW Local 247 Union Representative, Tima Dickerson. “We had not heard from others about this issue, so I’m very glad Ken reached out to me to resolve this.”

By Tima’s estimation, the issue would have impacted a significant portion of the over 400 UFCW Local 247 members working at Wholesale Club locations across BC. It also impacted former employees who had been employed during the time of the payroll error.

In April 2026, Tima filed a policy grievance on behalf of the union. While it took several months for the company to recognize the issue, including the obligation to issue payments to former employees, they ultimately did.

On September 27, Wholesale Club members across BC began receiving corrected calculations of vacation pay, and the company confirmed that there would be additional corrections applied on members’ October 29 pay cheques. Former members who had been impacted received individual payments from the employer covering the correction on November 5.

The importance of reaching out

“I was not satisfied with how long it took the company to respond to the issue,” said Ken. “But seeing a lot of coworkers happy with the extra money on their cheques made it all worth it.”

“This was money that these members were owed by their employer,” said Tima. “Helping members get what they are owed is exactly what we’re here for.”

Asked what advice he would give to other members with payroll concerns, Ken encourages members to get in touch with their union: “Check your paystubs once in a while. If you notice anything, don’t be afraid to reach out.”

UFCW Local 247 Union Representatives are available to assist members with their workplace concerns. To find the representative assigned to your workplace, check your union bulletin board or visit www.ufcw247.com.