Bestway fires workers for requesting a raise, basic benefits
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| Fired Bestway workers call for a boycott. |
Workers who charge they’ve been illegally fired from their
jobs at Bestway are staging a protest outside the Latino supermarket on Graham
Road and urging people to boycott the store. All 31 employees were fired after they asked
for a raise.
jobs at Bestway are staging a protest outside the Latino supermarket on Graham
Road and urging people to boycott the store. All 31 employees were fired after they asked
for a raise.
“We are not treated with respect,” said Matilda Reyes through
translator Joanna Ramirez, 12, a student at Luther Jackson Middle School. Reyes has
worked as a cashier at Bestway for 13 years and is paid $10 an hour. Many
others earn just $7.25 an hour.
translator Joanna Ramirez, 12, a student at Luther Jackson Middle School. Reyes has
worked as a cashier at Bestway for 13 years and is paid $10 an hour. Many
others earn just $7.25 an hour.
Employees get no vacations, no sick days, and no overtime
pay, said Reyes, who lives with her husband and three children at Kingsley Commons across Route 50. She doesn’t know how she will be able to take care of
her family without a job.
pay, said Reyes, who lives with her husband and three children at Kingsley Commons across Route 50. She doesn’t know how she will be able to take care of
her family without a job.
The owner of Bestway, Daniel Choi, brought in people from
other Bestway stores to replace the workers he fired. Choi declined to comment for
this article.
other Bestway stores to replace the workers he fired. Choi declined to comment for
this article.
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 is helping the
Bestway employees organize and get their jobs back. Ninety-eight percent of them
signed a union authorization card, said Guillermo Zelaya of UFCW Local 400.
Bestway employees organize and get their jobs back. Ninety-eight percent of them
signed a union authorization card, said Guillermo Zelaya of UFCW Local 400.
According to Zelaya, the Bestway workers were not allowed to
use the restroom during their shifts, which are sometimes as long as 13 hours.
They had to work on the Fourth of July without holiday pay. They were not given
any sick days and were fired if they got sick, he said.
use the restroom during their shifts, which are sometimes as long as 13 hours.
They had to work on the Fourth of July without holiday pay. They were not given
any sick days and were fired if they got sick, he said.
One man, in his 40s, was fired after working at the store
for 23 years because he was “too old,” Zelaya added, and some people have worked as
long as 11 years without being allowed to take a vacation. Meanwhile, Choi was
paying them half in cash and half with a check.
for 23 years because he was “too old,” Zelaya added, and some people have worked as
long as 11 years without being allowed to take a vacation. Meanwhile, Choi was
paying them half in cash and half with a check.
“While Virginia is a right-to-work state, that doesn’t give
them the right to exploit workers,” Zelaya said. When the federal government reopens, Local 400 plans to file a
complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.
them the right to exploit workers,” Zelaya said. When the federal government reopens, Local 400 plans to file a
complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.
How sad! Shame on the owners of this store who treat their workers with little respect.Others of us in the retail industry have also been hit with the 29 hr obamacare issue.After working for over 12 yrs as full-time I am no longer allowed to work full time,only part because if my employer has over 50 Full-time workers under the new law they would have to give healthcare.So now we have no hrs ,no sick leave,no vacations and still need another job to make up for lost hours and will get no benefits.This is no way to treat people who work hard and have so for many many years.So yes people who care -should try to shop at establishments that treat their workers fairly.
Blame Obamacare, not Bestway. This is exactly what happened in Hawaii when healthcare was mandated for anyone working over 20 hrs a wk. Unskilled workers were immeditely dropped to 19 hrs per wk and had to find a second job. The free market will always win.
"When the federal government reopens, Local 400 plans to file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board."
Another example of this shutdown having the most severe impact on the poorest of the poor.