WAC Members and staff joined a mass of supporters at the Target Fairness Rally today organized by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). The rally was held at Target Headquarters in Mississauga where corporate managers have decided to let go almost 10,000 Zeller’s workers when Target takes over in 2013. This is on top of many thousands who will lose their jobs when 85 former Zeller’s stores shut down in the near future. Many of the workers have been employed by Zeller’s for decades, some for over 30 years and are highly experienced and more than willing to fill the jobs that Target stores will offer when they come to Canada next year. Target is telling Zeller’s workers that they can reapply for the new jobs but they will not recognize their experience or the seniority they have earned through many years of service. Why is Target making its debut in Canada in such a negative light? — lay-offs, unemployment for many hardworking people in our communities, and no respect for people who have put in decades of their time and have the know-how to run a store.
Target could choose to do it differently and come to Canada with a model of business that is fair and that provides workers with decent benefits and wages. One long term worker at Zeller’s was making $11.97 after being there for 13 years. Now Target has decided to lay her off so they can hire workers for less money and no seniority. This is shameful and nothing more than greed. Target posted earnings of $704 million last Wednesday; they are a strong company with sales actually growing in these hard economic times. Target made a bad decision, but one that they can change.
Our message to Target – Give back to the communities that will shop at your stores! Keep Zeller’s workers employed and recognize their years of experience! Do the right thing, respect the loyalty and collective bargaining rights at Zeller’s when you take over their locations! WAC believes this is wage theft! Theft of our wages, present and future and the benefits so badly needed by workers who rely on them. Stop Wage Theft! Contact Target directly and send your message to the CEO to be fair in their business practices.
Take action! Hear directly from Zeller’s workers themselves! www.targetfairness.ca