Loblaws hides $2 PAY CUT for front line workers in anti-racism announcement

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Guess which Canadian billionaire has become, like, totally woke, man, when it comes to the Black Lives Matter movement?

Why, it’s none other than Galen Weston, the CEO of Loblaw Companies Ltd.!

In a letter posted on his company’s website and published in the industry trade journal Canadian Grocer, Weston notes that it’s not enough to be passively opposed to racism. Rather, Loblaws must commit to eliminating instances of bias, discrimination and racism as it “inadvertently arises” within the organization. (What does that mean? We don’t know, either…)

Said the virtue-signalling Grocer Supreme who grew up on the mean streets of Forest Hill:

“Right now, people in Canada–our colleagues, customers and citizens – are grieving, angry and mobilizing. Because systemic anti-Black racism lives in Canada. Because Black Lives Matter.”

Then Galen scurried away to his mansion…

But before hoping into his luxury SUV, Weston said one of the most impactful ways Loblaw can make a difference is to ensure “our own house is in order” and said the company would take actions including: 

  • “Ensure our recruitment and hiring practices eliminate any risk of racial and ethnic bias”
  • “Ensure our internship and scholarship programs include opportunity for the Black community”
  • “Eliminate any intentional or unintentional racial profiling in our stores”
  • “Mandate diversity and inclusion training that identifies biases and provides tools to end racism in any form”

Loblaws is also donating $100,000 to the Black Business and Professional Association. Yes, that is indeed chump change for a Loblaws parent company George Weston Ltd, which is a multi-billion dollar conglomerate. But get this – Galen says YOU can top up the BBPA fund by donating YOUR PC Optimum points to the organization. Isn’t he just so generous with your money?

And say, isn’t this the same George Weston Ltd. that had been price-fixing bread for 14 years? Methinks that gouging in the bakery department wasn’t a positive thing for black lives or the lives of any consumers in Canada. (Of course, the Justin Trudeau Liberals awarded this thievery with a $12 million grant to Loblaws last year so it could buy new refrigerators.)

But get this: just a few days after Galen Weston issued his Black Lives manifesto, Loblaws announced it was cancelling its “pandemic pay” bonus to its retail workers (an extra $2/hour) even though Loblaws saw its profits rise 21 per cent during the first quarter of this year compared to last year’s first quarter. So, the Wuhan virus has been very good for business indeed. Too bad the black workers (and for that matter, all workers) at Loblaws will no longer be sharing in the wealth because evidently the pandemic is over... according to Loblaws, that is.

Yet how odd – when we visited Loblaws head office in Brampton, Ont. for comment, we were told by the receptionist that virtually everyone was working from home. So, if you are a Loblaws executive, the pandemic is still a clear and present danger; but if you are a frontline retail worker, the stores are somehow miraculously free of the Wuhan virus and danger pay is no longer required.

Talk about systemic classism!

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  • By Sheila Gunn Reid

LET US WORK

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