MINIMUM PROTEST
Rally held to support higher wages
Tim Hortons needs to “play nice” with workers over the Ontario minimum wage increase, says the Windsor and District Labour Council.
“This is the new law,” Brian Hogan, president of the labour council, said outside the Tim Hortons location in downtown Windsor on Wednesday morning.
“We need to shrink the gap between rich and poor. This is one small way to try to help people.”
Representatives of the labour council passed out flyers pledging support for Tim Hortons workers and arguing in favour of the $14 per hour minimum wage that went into effect across the province Jan. 1.
Hogan reiterated the labour council is disappointed in how some Tim Hortons franchises have responded to the new minimum wage: elimination of paid breaks, reduction of benefits, cutting of hours and other measures that impact employees.
But Hogan stopped short of advocating a boycott of Tim Hortons franchises.
“We’re not there yet,” Hogan said. “We’re hoping they stand down. We’re hoping that head office tells them so.”
Hogan described Wednesday’s demonstration as an “information session,” and said the downtown Tim Hortons (80 Park St. East) was chosen for “symbolic” reasons. The labour council has not had contact with the location’s franchisee.
Similar demonstrations were held on the same day at other Tim Hortons locations in Ontario.
The labour council noted that Restaurant Brands International — the parent company of Tim Hortons — generated $3 billion in revenue in 2016, and its CEO David Schwartz received more than $6 million in personal compensation.
“The Tim Hortons corporation dictates virtually every detail of the franchise-owner’s business practice,” the labour council said in its flyer. “The parent corporation has the power to fully restore workers’ wages, benefits and working conditions.”
Lisa Gretzky, New Democrat MPP for Windsor West, was in attendance on Wednesday. She said it’s unacceptable billion-dollar companies are putting the financial brunt of the minimum wage increase on employees and franchisees. She believes the Tim Hortons corporation should be doing more to protect both — but especially the employees.
“The key issue here is that we have workers who struggle to make ends meet,” Gretzky said.
“Tim Hortons is not small business. (The government) needs to be looking at these large corporations that are making millions or billions of dollars on the backs of the employees.”