Safeway store workers in Manitoba have voted 98 per cent in favour of a strike to back contract demands.

The roughly 2,200 employees are members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 832. They work at stores in Winnipeg, Brandon, Thompson, Neepawa, and Dauphin.

The union will be in a legal position to strike on March 18, according to a release. Their contract expires the next day.

A strike deadline has not been set yet.

"This strike mandate result sends a strong message to Sobeys that the membership won't be bullied," said Jeff Traeger, Local 832 president, in a release. "Sobeys purchased a good company and mismanaged it into the ground, ignoring their long-time employee's experience and advice. Now they want those employees to pay for their mistakes."

The company and union had plans to meet again on Monday.

With files from The Canadian Press