Zellers closing in Belleville and Trenton

By Tyson Leonard

Zellers is closing its doors in Belleville and Trenton and they won’t be one of the stores converted into Target.

Zellers currently operates 64 stores that were not acquired by Target, said Tiffany Bourré, external communications manager with the Hudson’s Bay Company. Trenton and Belleville are part of those 64.

Bourré said the Zellers will close most of the remaining stores by next March.

Approximately 200 people will be losing their jobs at the Belleville and Trenton stores.

Zellers sold the leases of 189 of its store to the American company Target. Target will open up in 135 of those locations. The rest were either sold to Walmart or individual landlords.

Bourré said the location of the remaining stores was a factor considered when choosing to close them.

As to the details on severance packages or assistance in helping employees find new jobs, Bourré would not release any specifics.

“While we don’t disclose any financial information, Zellers provides our associates with significant career transition support,” said Bourre.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Canada union is running a campaign to help workers affected by the closures.

“The original focus has always been Target. The deal between Target and HBC has caused a lot of turmoil,” said Kevin Shimmin, national representative for United Food and Commercial Workers Canada.

“(The closures are) really bad news for all the Zellers workers.”

Shimmin said the workers in Belleville and Trenton won’t be able to fight for better severance packages without a union.

“At this point there isn’t much the UFCW can do for the Zellers that are not being turned into other stores like Target and Walmart,” said Shimmin.

Only a small fraction of Zellers employees are unionized with the UFCW. They have received severance packages exceeding the employment standards act, said Shimmin.