Tim Hortons protests to expand

Protesters angered by some Ontario Tim Hortons franchisees who slashed workers’ benefits and breaks after the province raised its minimum wage plan to spread their rallies to other areas of the country.

About 50 demonstrations are planned in cities across the country today, although at least 38 will be based in Ontario, including 18 planned in Toronto. As of Dec. 31, 2016, the number of Tim Hortons locations in Canada was 3,801.

Other cities involved in the protest include Calgary, Halifax, Saskatoon, Regina, Vancouver and two other cities in British Columbia.

Organizers behind the protest campaign, dubbed Fight for $15 and Fairness, say the demonstrations planned at specific Tim Hortons franchises today are not about the franchise owners themselves, but rather to pressure their parent company.

“If they’re feeling the crunch, they know like we do the answer has to come from corporate head office, not off the backs of employees making a minimum wage,” said spokeswoman Brittany Smith.

“This is about the multibillion dollar corporation and its parent company, Restaurant Brands International, who have the means to protect workers, but aren’t doing it.”

Smith could not describe how specific franchises across the country were selected for the protests but said they were chosen by local members of the Fight for $15 and Fairness, which she said number 500,000.

Today’s planned national protests follow similar demonstrations earlier this month at 16 Tim Hortons restaurants in Ontario.