Photos via Wikipedia and the author's private collection.
This article originally appeared on VICE Canada.
While the critics are bloviating over how a minimum wage hike affects billionaires, it seems that some Canadians aren’t ready to get over their anger at Tim Hortons.
Last week, in response to a minimum wage hike in Ontario, some franchise owners, including the co-founders’ married children, decided to strip their workers of paid breaks and cut back their benefits. Ontario’s minimum wage jumped to $14 an hour at the beginning of the year. This jump—introduced in a November bill and seen by some as a way for Ontario Premier [head of government of a province or territory] Kathleen Wynne to gain some votes going into an upcoming election—will see wages jump to $15 an hour in 2019.
Now, in response to those actions, some Tim Hortons owners are facing down rallies and boycotts planned by labor activists and some everyday Canadians.
Most of the ire is directed at one store, located in Cobourg, Ontario in particular. This store is owned by Jeri-Lynn Horton-Joyce (Tim Horton’s daughter) and Ron Joyce Jr. (the son of Ron Joyce, who co-founded the chain) and was the most high profile to fuck over their employees in response to the minimum wage increase. According to Forbes, Ron Joyce Jr.’s father is worth is about $1.4 billion.
A rally is planned outside the Cobourg Tim Hortons on Wednesday and it’s not the only one. The Hamilton and District Labour Council has also decided to picket a Dundas Tim Hortons in response to the Tim Hortons that have pulled the paid breaks for their employees as well.
“This Tim Horton’s location has allegedly cut benefits and paid breaks for employees as a result of the new minimum wage laws,” reads the Dundas event page’s description. “We want to let their employees know of their right to unionize and the public to know of how such a venerated Canadian brand treats their employees.”
Even Premier Wynne got in on the action and called the actions a “clear act of bullying.” To add to that, the corporate side of the Canadian fast-food chain put out a statement saying “the unauthorized statements made to the media by a ‘rogue group’ claiming to speak on behalf of Tim Hortons, do not reflect the values of our brand, the views of our company, or the views of the overwhelming majority of our dedicated and hard working restaurant owners.”
Ontario’s Labour Minister, Kevin Flynn, took everything a step further on Monday by saying that businesses taking the minimum wage hike “out on their workers” is “completely unacceptable” and “completely wrong.”
"We knew when we unveiled Bill 148 that there'd be a reaction from some businesses. The minimum wage, I don't believe ever in history, has been raised without the business community raising a fuss or concerns," Flynn said of the benefit cuts. “It's the act of bullies that have no place in this province."
Flynn also said that the government will be investigating businesses that are acting opposed to the laws after a report by the Toronto Star that a Tim Hortons in Scarborough told their employees to not keep their tips but to put them in a jar which will be taken by management at the end of the day—something that is illegal in Ontario.
On top of all the real-life pickets and possible investigations, a Tim Horton boycott called “No Timmy's Tuesday” is starting to gain support on social media. The boycott calls on Canadians to support an independent coffee chain of their choosing instead of Tim Hortons on Tuesdays.
It turns out Canadians aren’t all that polite when you steal their fucking benefits and breaks—you would think a company that purports to embody all things Canada would know that, eh?
GoldFynch on January 10th, 2018 at 15:04 UTC »
I used to work there. Two different locations, two different owners. First one was the worst job of my life. The owner was a dick. Would make me work 10 hours with only one break. Would end up being around 10 1/2 hours. Always yelling at his staff that they aren’t fast enough and just a toxic environment.
Then I got fired from there for being too slow so I went to college and ended up working at a Tim Hortons near my school and it was amazing. 2 breaks on an 8 hour shift. 1 break on a 5 hour shift. Tips. Friendly management. Flexible schedule. This place had it all.
I really think it’s the owners that make the stores bad. Not the company.
babwawawa on January 10th, 2018 at 14:13 UTC »
Tim Horton's trades on Canadian identity. They have carefully crafted their corporate image so that eating there and getting coffee is the most Canadian thing you can do.
This kind of scrutiny is the other edge of that sword. Loblaw's can do whatever the fuck they want because it's just a grocery store and they don't strive to be the definition of "Canadian".
If Tim Horton's wants to profit off the Canadian consciousness, they will suffer in the public eye when they try fuck their employees like other companies do every day.
GenericOfficeMan on January 10th, 2018 at 11:59 UTC »
For any non-Canadians in here, Tims was an institution in our country. You see a lot of people who will claim their faux patriotic brand and advertising was all just marketing, and of course it was to an extent but they had also earned the right. Tims was as much an icon of our country as maple leaves, beavers and mounties. An important part of that social contract has been broken now though, but they continue to push their patriotic narrative and lean heavily on their place as a national icon. The company is now American owned, its changed its branding, changed its coffee, changed their fresh baked in store offering and become just another fast food place run on making shareholders a maximum return. That same brand and patriotism and advertising are now driving people away at a quickly increasing rate because of this.