Close to 900 Saskatoon Co-op workers walked off the job at midnight.
Co-op and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union have been negotiating a new contract for more than a year.
Co-op says while workers walk the picket, most locations will remain open with reduced hours.
The UFCW says the decision to strike was largely due to Co-op’s desire to place new hires on a different pay scale, meaning workers would be paid less than others doing the same job.
Co-op says the wages it pays are already higher than its competitors and that to keep all wages at that rate would be unsustainable.
The two sides are set to meet again Friday morning.
