Union Workers Protest Target Canada’s Layoffs of Zellers Workers
Posted Oct 13, 2012 4:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was a sea of solidarity and support as representatives from United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 401 [UFC] stood up in support of their displaced Zellers colleagues.
Workers from both the Forest Lawn and Signal Hill Zellers stores will be out of work come Monday–to make way for American retailer Target, which has already taken over several existing locations throughout Calgary and the rest of the country.
660News reported from the Forest Lawn rally and while throngs of union members from UFC were present, also showing their union pride were members of CUPE, AUPE, as well as members of the Alberta New Democratic Party led by David Eggan, MLA for Edmonton-Calder.
Eggan says the recent handing over of marching orders doesn’t even compare to a “golden handshake.”
He says it’s important the sacked employees get their due respect for the time and effort and many years they’ve put into their jobs–and he sees no reason why Target Canada can’t simply hire them back to acknowledge that fairness.
“These are people who are earning very minimal retail wages and they’re the kind of people that we want to make sure can have a fair shake and a living wage so they can look after themselves and their families,” says Eggan.
UFC representative Christine McMeckan concurs. She’s disappointed that Target is “firing employees yet inviting them to reapply”–without the reassurance that they’ll in fact get their old jobs back.
Where’s the social responsibility in that? McMeckan asks.
She points to the fact that some of the Zellers employees have as many as 20- and 30 years of experience under their belts.
As a result, there’s a great concern for that group of older workers who might just find themselves with a permanent pink slip.
