Twenty-five years ago, grocery stores Miracle Mart and Ultra Food Mart were shut down as part of a 14-week strike. The Brampton Guardian photographed the picket lines in November 1993.

Rewinding a quarter of a century, Canadian grocery chains were tightening their budgets, anticipating troubles with the entry of American discounters and “price clubs.” Workers at Miracle and Ultra grocery stores were organized under the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCWU).

After parent company A&P announced layoffs at their titular brand and Dominion supermarkets, the UFCWU heard that the company intended to franchise their discount stores. The move would allow hundreds of layoffs, after which franchisees could hire staff back at lower wages. The strike caused all 63 Miracle and Ultra stores in Ontario to close, including 28 in the GTA.

The strike dragged on, to the point where it became known as Ontario’s longest retail strike, and one of the longest in Canada.