Why are some stores like whole foods allowed to stay open on labor day while others can't (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 year ago by Son_of_dad@lemmy.world to c/askto@lemmy.ca

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I had a couple of sick kids all week so I didn't get a chance to grab some essential groceries all week, now that I have a chance I look online and it seems only the whole foods and rabba are the ones that are open today. Those are the two I usually avoid because of their ridiculous prices, so I was wondering why the cheaper places don't open, and if it has anything to do with Ontario law.

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[-] bemenaker@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago

There is no rules against being open. You have to pay holiday pay, time and half though.

[-] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago

Or a day off in lieu

This is more common if people work Sunday-Thursday because it lets them take the Sunday off

[+] bob_wiley@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

[deleted]

[-] Rodeo@lemmy.ca 8 points 1 year ago

Ah yeah Loblaws the multi billion dollar nation wide corporation, too hard up to pay holiday pay.

Fuckin please

[-] Rocket@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Loblaws stores are unionized. They can no doubt afford it, but why would the union agree to work on a holiday? Especially when that holiday is Labour Day.

[-] Rodeo@lemmy.ca 5 points 1 year ago

I'm working in a Loblaws store right now and typing this on my coffee break.

Different locale, so a different agreement, but the idea that unions would negotiate to have holidays off in a retail establishment doesn't really make sense to me. Holidays are arbitrary, there's nothing more special about this Monday except the extra pay.

[-] Rocket@lemmy.ca -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

the idea that unions would negotiate to have holidays off in a retail establishment doesn’t really make sense to me.

Are you young? I notice that those who are would rather have the extra money. But older people, especially those with children, will take any excuse to take time off to enjoy life.

Holidays are arbitrary

As with everything. Monday is arbitrary. Loblaws is arbitrary.

there’s nothing more special about this Monday

There is nothing special about anything, but some people like to celebrate anniversaries. Birthdays, weddings, and in this case it is the annual celebration of Canada allowing unions – which is something people who like to celebrate, and who are in unions, are apt to want to celebrate.

[-] Rodeo@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 year ago

I'd like to think I am still young, but I take exception to that because I actually strongly value time over money. The thing is a lot of people don't and they no longer have the option.

In BC at least the law is you get the day off, or a day off lieu, or overtime pay. So there is a choice, but if the union negotiates for only time off on holidays, workers no longer have any choice.

Being in that very same union myself I find it very unlikely that this has come from the workers themselves. The union makes no effort whatsoever to communicate with workers. They have not negotiated for raises to the payscales in over twenty years. UFCW is a corrupt and worthless union. Actually they are worse than worthless because I believe they weaken the stance of all unions.

And besides all that, Labour Day in particular isn't really a time of celebration for anyone I've ever known; it's just another long weekend. It's the last major camping weekend in my area, which doesn't exactly strike me as a celebration of labour rights.

[-] Rocket@lemmy.ca -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I actually strongly value time over money.

Then why are you at work on a holiday?

The thing is a lot of people don’t and they no longer have the option.

Them's the breaks of adopting the single desk. Removing worker choice is kind of the whole point of a union. That is how it gains its strength. A worker being able to choose may be empowering for the individual, but comes at the cost of weakening the position of other workers in competition. It is easy to see how workers being able to choose to work on holidays can, in some circumstances, pressure those who do not want to work into working.

I find it very unlikely that this has come from the workers themselves.

What is the explanation, then? Obviously Loblaws doesn't close as a rule. It seems most of their locations, including those across Ontario, were open on the holiday. It was just a small handful of locations in Toronto that were closed.

[-] Rodeo@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago

Then why are you at work on a holiday?

Because I get a different day off in lieu, that's what I just told you.

Removing worker choice is kind of the whole point of a union. That is how it gains its strength.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. A untions strength comes from collective action and bargaining, not the removal of choice. You don't happen to be an official at UFCW, do you? Because that's exactly the kind of bullshit I'd expect to hear from those corrupt turds. "You don't need a choice because I already made it for you!"

What is the explanation, then?

I don't know. But if it's not all the stores in the local, then it definitely didn't come from the union, and workers are not allowed to act collectively outside the union. So it must have a been a corporate decision.

[-] Rocket@lemmy.ca 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

A untions strength comes from collective action and bargaining

Yes, the single desk. If you give employees choice then they will offer greater and greater concessions towards the employer (accept lower pay, accept fewer holidays, accept more dangerous working conditions, etc.) to beat out the next guy, and that means the next guy gets screwed over. The union seeks to remove individual choice, instead selling the services of a collection of workers as a whole unit in an effort to level the playing field for all workers, thus giving greater power to the collective.

What choice the union decides to remove from the individual is up to each union. A union is just the people in the union, after all. It's not some magical power that descended from the heavens. They, as a collective, can do whatever they want. But it's easy to see how allowing the choice to work on certain holidays could become a problem for some unions and why its members would seek to have nobody work on holidays.

But if it’s not all the stores in the local

But that's just it, the stores that were open appear to be in different union locals.

So it must have a been a corporate decision.

What's the explanation, though? Do people in Toronto not eat on holiday Mondays? There were a handful of other locations outside of Toronto that were also closed, but they appear to be in the same union local.

[-] Seigest@lemmy.ca 11 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I thin the rule is places have to pay employees time and a half to work on stat days like today. So many stores don't open. Or theyll have a limited number locations, or hours availible. It's not worth staying open at full capacity. The whole point of the day is to give workers a break.

The exception is small family run businesses where they don't have employees to pay. A lot of Rabba are like this.

And then there cases where employers just exploit the workers they have and ignore the law. Lot of those around as well.

this post was submitted on 04 Sep 2023

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