Back pay is on the way, Goodwill CEO vows
Keiko Nakamura tells former employees they’ll get wages, records promptly
Hundreds of Goodwill Industries employees will receive pay they are owed and records of employment, the CEO of the charity said Friday morning.
“Goodwill staff can expect to receive pay into their bank accounts by end of day today,” Keiko Nakamura, CEO of Goodwill Industries of Toronto, Eastern, Central and Northern Ontario (TECNO), said in a news release. “The time will vary depending on the individual’s financial institution,” Nakamura said.
The announcement came a day after the workers were told that the charity would not meet its payroll Friday, and after sharp criticism for Goodwill’s handling of the sudden shutdown, which threw roughly 430 employees out of work.
Goodwill TECNO closed all 16 of its stores and its 10 donation centres Sunday. Last Friday, the charity’s board resigned en masse.
Premier Kathleen Wynne, meanwhile, told reporters at Queen’s Park that her government needs to take a look at how and why the closure happened, given that Goodwill has accepted several million dollars in provincial funding.
“We don’t know exactly what has happened here, but . . . there are a lot of training and employment dollars that go into the Goodwill organization. It’s been a wonderful organization. It’s been an institution in this province, and so it’s very important that we find out exactly what happened,” Wynne said, adding that her biggest concern was for the affected workers.
“The broader issue is that this is a very important service. I mean, this is an important training opportunity, employment opportunity, for people who might not otherwise have an employment opportunity,” Wynne said.
“I regret the concern, anxiety and frustration the staff of Goodwill has experienced as a result of Goodwill’s cash flow crisis resulting in the closing of all stores and operations,” Nakamura said in her announcement Friday. She also urged the public to stop bringing goods to Goodwill stores and donation centres.
“Please consider donating your goods to a number of valuable, registered, non-profit organizations such as the Salvation Army, Society of St. Vincent de Paul and Habitat for Humanity, which all have Goodwill’s goal of helping those facing barriers or who are in need,” Nakamura said. Nakamura also promised that Goodwill will send out records of employment next week, which will allow workers who suddenly lost their jobs to apply for employment insurance payments.
She also held out hope that Good (TECNO) would may be revived.
“I am seeking the necessary support and alliances to create a constructive path forward for the organization and the many communities it serves,” she said in her statement.
“As difficult as the current circumstances are, this crisis may present an opportunity for a transformation that allows Goodwill to successfully fulfil its mission in reinvented and empowering ways,” Nakamura said.
She urged staff and clients of Goodwill who still seek answers to log on to renewthegood.ca.
Nakamura earlier blamed the shutdowns on a “cash-flow crisis” triggered by high rent and a slump in sales.