Article content
TORONTO, May 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Wine Rack workers, members of SEIU Local 2, gathered outside of the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan offices, to call on OTPP to take immediate action.
The workers, who are in bargaining with Wine Rack, say these are not “negotiations as usual.”
“We are under attack by Wine Rack,” said Radha Bhagat, who works at a store in downtown Toronto.
What might come as a surprise to some, is
who owns the company: The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, through one of its holdings, Arterra Wines Canada.
Some teachers are already voicing their support for the Wine Rack workers and are calling on their colleagues to do the same.
Article content
TORONTO, May 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Wine Rack workers voted 86% in support of strike action yesterday. The workers, members of SEIU Local 2, say low wages, basic job security and fairness are all key issues. Wine Rack is owned by the Ontario Teacher’s Pension Plan through one of its holdings, Arterra Wines Canada.
The workers say they are being asked to accept terms that would not address a severe problem with their hours and job security. Current wages and working conditions have resulted in a stunning annual employee turnover rate of 50%. Workers are seeking a deal which will give them the ability to work sufficient hours at a fair wage. Wine Rack has so far refused to provide workers with this basic level of dignified work. In addition, management has proposed a Manager-in-Training program which workers say is a thinly veiled scheme to further erode their hours, if not eviscerate their union altogether.