Tropicana Board awarded a $3000 bonus to a manager, even while continuing to rebuff workers’ ask for a modest wage increase. Workers unionized with SEIU Local 2 over a year ago in response to years of wage freezes and other unfair treatment by management.
TORONTO, Nov. 13, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Tropicana workers have learned that the Tropicana board voted to grant a $3000 to a manager in 2019, around the time the frontline workers unionized and started asking for an end to years of wage freezes.
Several workers were told either directly or overheard that board President Carol Comissiong authorized a $3000 bonus for the daycare supervisor. Now that workers are striking together, this information is being brought to light with the broader group.
Maxine Edwards is a Job Developer with Tropicana and was unaware of the manager bonus until the strike started. She says: “I hadn’t heard about the manager bonus until we all went on strike and this information came out. But this is really disappointing to hear. I was working with no wage increase for four years. I was always told there was no money for wage increases for staff.”
Management has continued to insist on three more years of wage freezes, which has pushed the workers to go on strike. Workers have been picketing Tropicana premises since November 9th.
Tropicana is a publicly-funded organization financed by all three levels of government. Workers unionized and are now on strike after many had been forced to accept up to a decade of wage freezes. They are seeking a cost-of-living wage increase and transparent management practices as a part of their first collective agreement. Workers have set up TropicanaStrikes.ca to keep the public informed on developments.
SEIU Local 2 represents workers in Nova Scotia, Ontario, Alberta, New Brunswick and British Columbia.
Contact: Assya Moustaqim-Barrette
[email protected]
416-274-4903