Boycotts bad for workers

We will save the debate on a $14 hourly wage for fast food workers in Ontario for another time. Right, wrong or indifferent, the “No Timmies Tuesday” campaign is the wrong way to protest.

In case you’ve been hanging out at Starbucks this past week, a quick review.

On Jan. 1, Ontario raised its minimum wage by $2.40 per hour on most jobs. It will go up by another $1 in 2019.

It’s estimated that the steep wage increase will cost franchise owners an average of $243,889 annually. A handful of owners in Ontario stated that they’d reduce the number of working hours, cut paid breaks, claw back employee benefits and not allow an employee one free beverage at the end of their shift.

These cutbacks will help compensate the loss in income.

This attitude, taken by only a few of the franchisees, is wrong. It’s mean and vindictive and the workers themselves had nothing to do with the decision made by Ontario’s Liberal government.

Perhaps it would be easier simply to raise the price of coffee 10 cents per cup.

A campaign quickly began on the internet. It grew legs and there were boycotts across the country. At least 15 rallies were staged outside Hortons restaurants in Ontario. The overall effect is unknown at this time.

By participating in No Timmies Tuesday, the exercise is hurting the people they’re trying to support. If everyone stopped going to Tim Hortons, a lot of people would be out of work.

Something that’s seldom said is unlike other low-paying jobs, workers at Hortons receive some additional revenue from tips. It’s not a lot of money, but it’s something. Maybe it’s something to consider the next time you hit the drive-thru.

Consumer boycotts work when they draw attention to a certain cause. The flipside is it hurts average working people.

A better approach for those angered by the actions of the few Hortons owners would be to take a petition, speak directly to the store manager, swamp the letters to the editor page, or write to the head office of the corporation.

Lost in the anger is the great work that Tim Hortons does. The chain supports minor hockey, the CFL and The Brier (how Canadian is that?), and sponsors summer camps, free skating, swimming, and Smile cookies. Hortons partners with Canada’s military.

And the Roll-up-the-Rim campaign is cool, even though I’ve never won anything more than a free doughnut.

The message was heard loud and clear. Let’s hope the corporate office does the right thing by not using its fine employees as pawns. —James Miller Valley Editor

‘Timmies’ campaign wrong way to protest