(Toronto, ON) – Today, across Canada, rallies are being held at more than 40 Tim Hortons locations from Nova Scotia to Vancouver to tell RBI Inc., the parent company of Tim Hortons, that it must take action to guarantee fair work for its employees.
Following widespread revelations that Tim Hortons workers were losing paid breaks and benefits in response Ontario’s increase to the minimum wage, the labour movement, community organizations, and the broader public mobilized to protest the rollbacks.
This National Day of Action in support of Tim Hortons workers is organized by the Ontario Federation of Labour, which represents 54 unions across Ontario, the Canadian Labour Congress representing unions across Canada, and the Fight for $15 and Fairness, a community, faith, student, and labour-based network that launched the fight for a $15 minimum wage and other improvements in employment law.
“Whether a job is in Vancouver or Edmonton or Toronto, there needs to be fairness in the workplace. RBI can regulate everything from its royalty fees to the price of sugar. They can certainly make it company policy to offer paid breaks and restore the other rollbacks,” said Ontario Federation of Labour President Chris Buckley, “Communities across Canada are sending the message that the labour movement stands with these workers.”
“The message from Tim Hortons seems to be that workers have no choice but to accept unfair wages, and if they or anyone tries to change that they’ll be punished,” said Canadian Labour Congress President Hassan Yussuff. “Canada’s unions have their own message for all employers: If your business model depends on your workers living in poverty, you need a new business model.”
“When the government agreed to raise the minimum wage and improve employment standards in this province, the intent was to ensure that workers in precarious employment would be better off. It is a cruel tactic indeed to implement clawbacks that leave workers worse off financially,” said Deena Ladd, coordinator of the Workers’ Action Centre. “We will not stop until Tim Hortons does right by its employees.”
Daniel Schwartz, CEO of Tim Hortons parent company (Restaurant Brands International), pockets more than $6 million annually in salary and perks. Over $350 million was dished out to shareholders last year.
To find a rally near you please click here.
For chants and more location information click here.
The CLC is the largest labour organization in Canada, bringing together 55 national and international unions, provincial and territorial federations of labour and community-based labour councils to represent 3.3 million workers.
The OFL represents 54 unions and one million workers in Ontario. For more information, visit www.ofl-org.flywheelsites.com and follow @OFLabour on Facebook and Twitter.
The Fight for $15 & Fairness is a campaign supported by community, labour, health, student, and faith groups across Ontario. calling for sweeping reform to employment and labour laws. Central in the campaign is the demand for a $15 minimum wage for all workers, regardless of age, student status, job or area of work. For more information, visit 15andfairness.org or follow @fairwagesnow.
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For further information:
Meagan Perry, Director of Communications, Ontario Federation of Labour
mperry@ofl-org.flywheelsites.com, 416-948-5720
Nil Sendil, Communications Coordinator, Fight for $15 & Fairness
info@15andfairness.org l 647-710-5795
Kerry Pither, National Director of Communications, Canadian Labour Congress
1-613-294-2203
