Canadian coffee drinkers are calling for a boycott at coffee chain Tim Hortons after two Cobourg, Ontario locations circulated letters announcing that paid breaks and other incentive programs for staff have been cut due to the minimum wage increase that came into effect in Ontario on January 1, 2018.
The trending hashtag #NoTimmysTuesday and a meme circulating on social media in recent days, promotes making your own coffee or visiting an independent cafe rather than patronizing the national coffee chain.
#NoTimmysTuesday isn’t the only protest planned either. In a post to Facebook, The Northumberland Labour Council and the Durham Region Labour Council invites citizens to protest outside the Tim Hortons located at 970 Division St. Cobourg, Ontario from 5 pm to 6 pm on Wednesday, January 10.
We intend to celebrate the victory for minimum wage earners who received a raise to $14 an hour on January 1. “These workers deserve a living wage and typically spend their earnings in the community, creating jobs and growth,” stressed Northumberland Labour Council President, Dan Tobin.
We are also denouncing the ruthless tactics of Tim Horton’s heirs Ron Joyce Jr. and Jeri-Lynn Horton-Joyce. As retaliation for the wage increase they have announced from their winter home in Florida that they will be cutting paid breaks and making workers contribute more toward their health care benefits.
According to the workers, with unpaid breaks and having to pay 50% of the cost of benefits, their biweekly pay cheque will actually be $51 lower than it was before the minimum wage hike.
“These crooks are turning profits off this and blaming the minimum wage increase while they sip margaritas pool side at a US address,” said John MacDonald, President of Durham Region Labour Council.
We hope this event will kick off a series of other actions at multinational corporations who are keeping workers down in poverty wages.
The response to the minimum wage increase from the Tim Hortons’ hiers has been a sharp contrast to the actions of indie cafes like Toronto’s Coffee Public who gave raises to their staff in excess of the minimum required, telling employees in a letter, “You are not minimum wage quality, and we expect better than minimum wage work.”
See how Ontario residents have reacted to the publicized boycott.
No Timmys Tuesdays!https://t.co/Yywp0P1hBR
And keep it going well beyond Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/AS8NNHdVui— Joe Emersberger (@rosendo_joe) January 9, 2018
A corporation that puts shareholder profits above employee’s well being every day of the week doesn’t deserve your money on days that don’t rhyme with “Timmys” either. @TimHortons @TimHortonsUS @TimHortonsPH #notimmystuesday #notimmysever pic.twitter.com/QTc77Xu7xF
— Beth (@pourhisspirit) January 9, 2018
NO Timmys Tuesday? I don’t do Timmys Sunday Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday…. #TimHortons pic.twitter.com/9gtn8GYeW1
— trevor boller (@TrevorBoller) January 9, 2018
Funny how @TimHortons can give out coupons but won’t pay their employees fairly #shame #notimmystuesday pic.twitter.com/sPruWjTZuJ
— Aileen Black (@AileenBlack) January 9, 2018
A new National Movement. Let Tim Hortons know you don’t agree with their war on the workers. #NoTimmysTuesday pic.twitter.com/HLIh7iep4P
— Derik McArthur (@DerikUFCW175) January 7, 2018