Koskie Glavin Gordon is acting as legal counsel for the United Steelworkers whose complaint alleging employment discrimination against temporary foreign workers at a Tim Hortons franchise in Fernie, British Columbia has been accepted for filing by the Human Rights Tribunal of British Columbia
As summarized by the Human Rights Tribunal, the complaint alleges discrimination in employment because of the temporary foreign workers’ race, colour, ancestry, and place of origin. Specifically, it alleges that the temporary foreign workers were denied overtime premiums over many years, given less desirable shifts than other employees, and routinely threatened with being returned to the Philippines. Stephen Hunt, USW’s Western Canada Director stated in a recent press release:
“While it’s unfortunate that a failure by our provincial and federal governments to enforce the law leaves vulnerable foreign workers with little to no recourse, today’s decision affirms there can be a path to justice no matter where you are from or what your status in our country is.”
CBC News reports that the RCMP have opened an investigative file relating to the matter, and that Tim Hortons has terminated its franchise agreement the Fernie Tim Hortons for “failing to comply with employment standards requirements”.
KGG is pleased to work with the USW in exposing this abuse of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.