Some people who lost their jobs last December are calling on the Quebec to do more to protect employees who have been laid off.
The group was employed at Pointe-Claire printing facility Serigraphie Richford, and when the company moved to Ohio in December, no severance packages were offered to the approximately 70 workers.
Many were shocked to find their contract offered no severance package.
“For a person that was there for one to five years, they gave $300. For a person that was there from five years to ten years, they gave something like $500,” said Marsha Drummond, one of the workers who was laid off.
Drummond, who worked for the company for 22 years, was only entitled to $1,000 when the facility moved.
“I was so upset I ripped the cheque and I threw it in their face,” she said.
Drummond and her former colleagues turned to the Immigrant Workers Centre for help and advice, but discovered there's little that can be done.
“They did it legally and the laws aren't really adequate. These are real minimums that don't protect workers,” said Mostafa Henaway of the centre, who explained that some businesses in Quebec seem to have better protection than others.
“It's sort of selected industries or selected companies that are very protected but not across the board,” said Henaway.
Drummond's sister Tanya worked at the company for three years and is appalled by the way she and the others were treated.
“Casting away people after 30 years. There are people that worked there that long that honestly they probably won't get a job anywhere else,” she said.
Tanya Drummond said she believes their union also failed them.
But she says their union also failed them
“They did absolutely nothing but take our money and run just like the company did,” she said.
While there's little that can be done for them, the workers hope the matter will at least draw attention to the issue so other workers can try to protect themselves.
They are also hoping the Quebec government will amend labour laws to make severance packages mandatory.
