MONTREAL -- The UFCW union, which represents the employee of a supermarket in Abitibi-Témiscamingue who was insulted and filmed by a couple of anti-maskers, strongly denounces their conduct.
The man and the woman went to a Super C market in Rouyn, filming the employee while she asked them to put their mask back on their nose. While doing so, the man insulted her, calling her a "b*tch," a "stain," mocking her by saying she sounded like a chicken and telling her to "shut up."
The video was then posted on social media.
Local 501 of the United Food and Commercial Workers union, affiliated to the FTQ, is protesting the behavior of the two customers. It points out that retail employees, regardless of how they personally feel about it, are required to enforce public health guidelines, such as wearing masks.
"The UFCW 501 strongly denounces the behaviour of the two customers of the Super C in Rouyn who attacked one of its members who asked them to wear a mask as required by public health. Their conduct towards this worker and the insults that were directed at her are unacceptable," he said.
We are all fed up with this pandemic, but the pandemic will not go away by insulting people who are also suffering from it and who are only applying the rules dictated by the government," added the UFCW-501 union.
The union's national representative, Roxane Larouche, promised that the employee would not be left alone and that she would be supported as needed.
"We will quickly contact the worker to show our solidarity and to offer her our support, should the case go to court," added Larouche.
-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 29, 2021.
