Cornwall Ontario – Michelle Matos, one of the franchise owners here in Cornwall wanted to clarify her stores position after our story of yesterday where customers and workers are upset with draconian measure being taken by some outlets after Minimum wages were increased to $14 per hour as of January 1st in Ontario. LINK
Here is her statement UNEDITED.
Hello Jamie,
I am writing you in response to your recent article published regarding Tim Horton employees. I want to clarify that there are several families that own the Tim Horton restaurants in town and not just the Moyer family. There are two sets of first and second generations who have ownership and pride. My husband and I along with my parents the Moyer’s had decided when we heard of the increase in minimum wage, we thought of strategies how we can save money in other ways that did not effect our team. ie telephone bills, paper costs. January always brings small business owners to cut hours due to the soft sales. However we calculated that if each employee got cut eight hours they would still be getting paid as much as working 40 hours in 2017. We usually just cut hours until we launch Roll Up The Rim in February. We have not made any changes to our current employees benefits or paid breaks. In fact I was on the phone at 6am with each restaurant to assure them that these changes have not been made in our operated restaurants.It was nice speaking with you this morning and I hope this puts amend to our past misunderstood relationship.Sincerely,Michelle MatosOwner/Operator of Tim Hortonsps. We own Marleau, Cornwall Square, Lancaster, Boundary, Second Street, Montreal Road
Very professional and responsible response to your article.
Bob it’s all in our Mission and Vision statements. CFN is a public resource. Unfortunately many people have swallowed a lot of lies, especially from the City Hall driven conspiratorial boycott. This has hurt the entire community. When businesses are struggling they shouldn’t fear where they advertise or who they work with. Hopefully that’s fixed in this year’s election and we can get enough good people elected who, like Brampton, will clean City Hall of the corrupt managers there that keep holding our community back.
Even cutting eight hours out of one week will affect some employees. That’s the same as them not working one day. To some that WILL matter. The rise in the minimum wage was to help employees. As we’ve seen sine Jan 1 it is having the opposite affect. Business owners will find ways to help them maintain their same level of profit, most of it on the backs of employees. Surprise, surprise!!
Hugger a lot of that will sort itself. The bottom line is it’s even more important for businesses to increase their success to overcome these strange adversities thrown at them by a gov’t that clearly doesn’t care about Small Business or workers as this is only going to hurt those that can afford it the least while bringing in more tax dollars.
The worst part of all this is that employees that have been there for 10-15 years are going to make the same at employees that have been there for 10-15 days. Now on top of it all, hours are been cut.
Cutting back 8 hrs. may replicate what an employee was taking home prior to Jan. 1st however factor in that consumer goods escalated in advance and the new carbon tax and the harsh reality is that minimum wage earners have not gained ground. Government revenues have benefited. Think about it.
Hugger1 I disagree. The sprint to raise minimum wage was to increase tax revenue. Provincial income tax and sales tax revenues will soar. Disposable income will fall as the business world struggles to find new balance in a forced economic environment. This will cost entry level jobs and more. IMO.
Forcing your employees to take a financial hit on behalf of the company is UNprofessional. Without them you have NO business. Its time people realise that workers expecting a livable wage are not the problem. The business is. Any company acting like this should be boycotted.
So Ron, let me ask you a question. This newspaper is essentially the news for people that essentially don’t pay for it. It’s not supposed to be this way, but CFN has stood up for those who can’t pay for services like the two times we stood up to Walmart on behalf of workers and many other instances. Should our viewers be boycotting the businesses that boycott us in a prejudiced manner simply because we tell truths that corporate media are afraid to for fear of losing ad dollars from gov’t and big business?
David Oldham…I agree. I was trying to give the employees view of how things are.
Don’t let her statement fool you. its really just a sugar coat. Check back with them after the roll up the rim , and see if she stayed true and loyal to her employees as she suggests she will.
David please review our comment policy. It’s why your other comment didn’t go through and until you fix your email not others will either.
Praise to this owner/operator for addressing employee and public concerns in writing! Management that care about people’s lives is a rare find
Bravo to you Michelle Matos and Tim Hortons Staff
Mrs Matos, I am a customer of yours for a long time. I bring my customers to your stores in my taxi. I often go through the drive through and order myself a coffee, triple triple double cup, and ask for them to give it an extra stir and pay an extra loonie for the act. Today, I was told to bring my business elsewhere if I wanted the extra stir.
I am not in a habit of giving someone the displeasure of talking back to them and saying that we don’t have time to stir it.
You can contact me at
613-330-1034
Paul Rivette
Thank you.
difficult to believe corporate when they don’t put sandwiches in bags but double cup or give out treys with two coffees when u didnt ask..what cost more? An employee said the bags prob cost less..if u wanted to help ur employees you’d pay them every week and lower their income tax deduction.
I also noticed you spray round up on your property without any warning signs. That is a deadly chemical that is hazardous to anyone with a dog or child around not to mention adults. you dont care bout anyone but your self and its disgusting that you believe the lies you tell your self. Even worse that people are naive enough to support such evil tyrants