Image of the newly unionized A&W via Brian Andrews
In Canadian labour news, thirteen workers at the Valleyview location of A&W in Kamloops, B.C. have successfully unionized with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 993. This is believed to be the first unionized workforce at a Canadian A&W restaurant
The workers have reportedly signed union cards and were certified with the B.C. Labour Relations Board on November 17. The unionization was driven by the workers’ issues with how the managers were treating them and their desire for clarity and consistency when it comes to the discounts they receive on A&W meals during their shifts.
"Management aren't trained correctly on actual management issues, and when they come in to work they treat their employees with disrespect ... by yelling and screaming and demanding and ordering them around," Brian Andrews, an organizer for Local 993 said.
The burger chain has over 1,000 locations across Canada.