Pay your claims : Victory in Station des Sports !

I worked at the Station of the September Sports 2014 June 2015. A big nine months not knowing what to think because there are so many guidelines issued by the Head Office and so that managers who spend no longer knows what is expected of us. There was the manager with a barmaid who had obstinately because he wanted to put the shoes of everyone in the garbage. He thought it was not clean clean 'our runnings be in a cabinet under the bar, then hop ! the garbage ! There was one that made animal noises passing behind the waitresses. Whoever was collecting contributions for porters and pocketed. One who made us dig through the trash to pick up the stuff he escaped there. And even the one who rained warnings and that ended up getting fired for sick callé. I'll spare you the classic : non-paid training, of paid shortened fifteen minutes here and then and bills to pay instead of the customers who fled. I think you have already entered the picture.

Casually you end up doing it. I guess it's like the story of the frog you put in hot water. In force lapping in our cauldron we forget that small bubbles rising around us are not so normal it.

At the beginning of June I filled out forms to request a leave of two weeks and to qualify for my vacation pay. At the Station des Sports are always about to sign anything. occupation bartender, ascending bureaucrat. I already knew that the head office had sometimes forget to send 4% on time, then I had repeatedly taken the time to talk to my manager to make sure everything would be fine. Everything will be alright, he said.

My train ticket is purchased, My bag is made and I even took the time to go buy all those little things in miniature for traveler. Small toothbrush, small tube of toothpaste, small shampoo… small pleasures for guys who plays with not much what. So I returned to work in this beautiful sunny Friday to pick up my last pay, mon 4% and, incidentally do my last shift before leaving on vacation. But you know the proverb : if the weather is that it will rain.

My manager told me that the head office has denied me my vacation pay. It is not a year that I work for them. They are not obliged to give me, he said. It is
at that time the frog stops lap to realize that besides the money that steals a little each week, it's been nine months since we pile on pride. Between us, I'll be good player and pretend I was the kind who believes that this is normal in the first year we can refuse 4% a worker, but minimally it might be nice to let him know as soon as three days before departure. You know, just to make as if it were a human being who either desires, aspirations and needs other than to please his boss. I told my manager that if the bartender that I am not his 4%, Manager it will not have its bartender. I doubt it has really surprised the, but I confess to him in the same breath that if I work there, it's more for the money for fun and if I do not have access to my money; there's really no interest in serving Budweiser in a basement corner Berri and St. Catherine for 10 hours. Strangely, we have not managed to agree. Il do not give me my 4% and I have not done my shift. He found a new bartender and I went on vacation.

This is where the big naive in me comes. I thought I could go on vacation a little tight but, Termination requires, I would have my minimally 4% on my return. A beautiful 430$ that will allow me to pay my rent. Unfortunately things are never as simple as the kingdom of Sergakis Investments, company with the Sports Resorts, Sport Direct, Sky, the Amazons, the Karaoke Box, and umpteen other bars and apartment blocks. Despite labor standards, supposedly in force in Canada, to get his due in Sergakis, you must first sign a voluntary departure Paper.

Or, I was lucky to have fallen some time ago on the Industrial Union of Workers and Workers, better known as the Industrial Workers of the World (SITT-IWW). Their counsel let me know on the one hand it was totally illegal to require an employee to sign such a paper for his 4% And on the other hand, I had in fact everything to lose by signing since it could allow my former employer from me boomcontinue for damages. After seeing roll in shit for nine months, there was no question that I make this their last gift. I met an organizer and an organizer of the Union and together we have developed an action plan

Illes first accompanied me to the Station des Sports, I met my old manager put me in direct contact with the big boss, Peter Sergakis. The latter asked me to come to his office in St. Henri, where my two Wobblies still have accompanied me when and where, after a long discussion, we finally agree. This will take much time and many words, but I finally have my money for my rent on time and this will not have forced me to put myself in a last lap.

The plan we have developed with the organizer and the organizer will not have had to be put into action in full, but I must admit I'm not sure that I have had the strength to do all this if I had not known he was 150 Wobblies behind me in Montreal and many thousands more worldwide. It is certain that I have yet to find a new job, but at least I have my four-hundred and some dollars and pride. The station will not pounded over me once more.

Often associated with the IWW events, strikes and direct actions to, but what they have to offer more valuable, is solidarity. One that gives the strength to refuse to be walked on. This gives strength to say no! You will not shove me again. One that gives the strength to fight because we know we're not alone. A big thank you to all my fellow workers of the IWW for solidarity in everyday life and in hard times!

M.S.

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