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Checkout - Our Members at Work: Roxana Lopez
Roxana Lopez is a long-time Union member who has worked at Metro Elmvale in Ottawa for 22 years.
As a cashier at the grocery store, Roxana’s responsibilities include making sure all the cash registers and self-scan checkouts are operational and ready to serve customers. She also does a quick check of the floral department, where she works out of twice a week, to make sure the beautiful designs and bouquets are ready to greet customers.
In fact, as retail enters one of its busiest times of year – the holidays – Roxana really enjoys setting up the floral displays. “It gives me pleasure to see customers appreciate the pieces we create and enjoy their shopping experience.”
Roxana believes that being a member of the Union is important because it has helped her secure good benefits and protect her rights as a worker. And for the last 14 years or so, Roxana has helped enforce those rights and hard-won benefits by taking on the roles of Steward and Joint Health & Safety Committee (JHSC) member at the store.
“I enjoy helping my fellow employees and I wanted to make sure that their rights are respected,” said Roxana, who is currently the Chief Steward for the members at Metro Elmvale.
As part of her ongoing active role with the Union, Roxana has taken part in a number of training opportunities as well; courses covering the Workplace Safety & Insurance Board (WSIB), Health and Safety, filing grievances, and preparing for arbitration. In October of this year, as the Union returned to in-person training for the first time since 2019, Roxana took part in a new course called Gender Diversity and Inclusion at the Ottawa seminar. Roxana has enjoyed the courses available through the Union and says they gave her more knowledge to help in her workplace.
When asked what are the best parts of her job, Roxana answered easily; becoming a friend to some of the senior customers and getting to see her regulars. “After all my years at the store, I have several regular customers that make sure to come to my cash register when they’re done shopping,” said Roxana.
“Roxana has been a wonderful advocate for the Union at the store,” said Union Rep, Joe Tenn. “She is warm and friendly to every customer that walks through those doors, and she has been a strong and diligent Steward for her co-workers for a number of years now.”
Like many industries and sectors, retail workers are often understaffed, overworked, and their efforts underappreciated. Similarly, the pandemic created a number of new issues and exacerbated existing issues for workers in retail as well.
Roxana notes that it can be difficult to work while understaffed, particularly when it’s busy. And, for retail workers who really enjoy customer service, responding to, accommodating, and assisting a wide variety of customers with an even wider variety of needs can also be difficult to manage at times. But among the worst things to deal with for Roxana during the pandemic, were the abuse from customers and having to fight to be heard and recognized by the employer.
As the worry over the pandemic has ebbed for the most part, the only remaining visible measure in place at the store is the plexiglass divider at each cash register.
Roxana credits having open conversations with her husband and family as one of the main ways she restores herself after being at work. And, as with anyone who worked through this pandemic, Roxana has emerged from the last few years with a new found understanding of what is important to her. “I’ve learned to be more patient,” explained Roxana. “And, the people that I was close to before are even closer to me now.”
Roxana, as a Union Steward, your advocacy and commitment to the well-being of your coworkers has gone a long way to making your workplace a better one. You are an integral part of what makes our Union great. Thank you for your hard work and dedication.
