A major B.C. grocery chain wants some of its unionized staff to work shifts of just two hours, a move the union representing 8,500 workers called shocking.

The Overwaitea Food Group, which also runs Save-On-Foods and Urban Fare, made the demand for two-hour shifts as it began negotiating a new contract with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, the union said.

"It was shocking for some of the union bargaining committee who were sitting across from the employer, as Overwaitea management dropped that one on them," said Andy Neufeld, the communications representative of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1518.

Currently the minimum shift at the grocery chains is four hours, said Neufeld.

"If they think employees will tolerate two-hour shifts, they're out of touch with reality. These employers can't even keep employees in the store because of the inadequate wages they're paying," said Neufeld.

The current contract for workers at both the Overwaitea Food Group and Safeway expires in March.

The B.C. Federation of Labour said workers earning a starting wage of $8.50 per hour would be hard pressed to get by making $17 a day with two-hour shifts.

Shortly after coming into power in 2001, the Liberal government changed the provincial minimum shift from four hours, said federation president Jim Sinclair.

"The idea was that if you got called to work by your employer, you got a minimum of four hours work. That, at least, paid for your bus fare, your transportation, your gas to get there, and maybe helped cover the daycare costs if you happen to have a kid, so that you didn't go home with less money in your pocket than when you went to work," said Sinclair.

The union also says Overwaitea wants union members to pay part of their own benefits, and the grocery giant wants to be able to convert any store to a PriceSmart outlet — with the matching reduction in contract language.

Neufeld said the bargaining committee has clearly indicated it will not accept any concessions, especially in light of the current, booming economy.

The Overwaitea Food Group did not return phone calls from the CBC.

Overwaitea and Save-On-Foods are owned by the Jim Pattison Group, Canada's third-largest privately owned company, with $6.3 billion in sales in 2005, according to its website.

With files from the Canadian Press