Zellers stores in Quebec are holding final liquidation sales before being taken over by American retail giant Target.
Nearly all merchandise at seven Zellers stores went on sale Friday, while the location in Dorval closed earlier this year.
About a year ago, Target announced the acquisition of leases at 220 Zellers stores across Canada, including 53 in Quebec.
But the deal doesn't mean that Zellers employees will automatically get a job at Target.
Target says that current Zellers employees will have to apply to work at Target stores, just like everyone else, and won't be receiving any special considerations during the hiring process. They will also lose existing earned benefits such as seniority, pay rates and vacation days.
The United Food and Commercial Workers, a union representing about 1,300 Zellers employees at 15 locations in Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario, have launched a campaign protesting the move.
Target spokeswoman Lisa Gibson has said the deal is real estate-based only, meaning that Target did not buy Zellers outright.
"It does not include things like technology, merchandise and employees,'' Gibson said earlier this month. "Because Target did not buy the Zellers business and only the leasehold interests, the employees are Zellers employees.''
Derek Johnstone of the Toronto office of the UFCW says Target has tried to "dehumanize'' the issue by saying it's a real estate transaction.
with files from The Canadian Press
