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Mother Webb's: Dignity For the Workers

Blog posts reflect the views of their authors.
Dignity for the Workers
Dignity for the Workers

When sexual assult or harassment happens against workers at the workplace, workers should organize to decide what action should be taken to end the unwanted behavior.

The accusations of sexual harrasment and sexual behavior made against Jerry and Todd web of Mother Webb's has become public knowledge and as a result there has been calls for a boycott amongs other actions to seek justice. Sexual harassment unfortunately is rampant in the resturant industry along with rampant sexual harassment we have workers, often women, being expected to wear revealing and uncomfortable uniforms that sexualize them in what should be a non-sexual workplace.

If you have ever been to a moxi's resturant, take a minute to look at the feet of the female servers. often you will find they have a band-aid or two on their feet. The reason for this is because the female servers are expected to wear a heels that cause blisters and other sores and although the boss will tell you that the female servers can wear a small heal, in theory that is correct but in practice they may lose shifts or be talked to by managment for not wearing a high heel. The aforemention example of an unsafe and needlessly sexualized work place is but one of many

Working is not a priveledge, it is a necessity for the building of societies and if there were no workers, not a sigle wheel would turn and not a single food dish would be served

It is bad enough tha we the working class are forced to sell our labor at less than what it is worth just so we can survive but there is insult added to injury when we workers are forced to work in unsafe work conditions. Here in Canada aproximately 4 workers a day die on the job; some of those workers die as a direct result of disreagard for health and saftey on the part of the employer. Ten yeas after the passing of bill C-45, not one employer has served jail time even though workplace injuries and deaths are on the rise.

What has happened at Mother Webb's is a crime against the workers that has caused worker injuries. The owners need to be prosecuted in a court of law and because of bill C-45 we may see justice; we could see the owners sent to jail. It is my hope that the owners of Mother Web's will have their resturant licence suspended and they be brought to trial for their crimes against the workers.

Unless the workers themselves are calling for a boycott of Mother Webb's, please to not support a boycott of their workplace. The workers of Mother Webb's have already been injured enough by the owners, they do not need futher injury at the hands of the citizenry.

If you happen to be in the St. Andrews area in the near future, please stop by  Mother Webb's and tell the workers you support their demands for a safe work environment. I even suggest that you give the workers a financial contribution and encourage them to unionize or turn the resturant into a workers run cooperative and if you must eat, make it a dine and dash. Oh, and on your way out be sure to let the owners know why you are dashing and that their days are numbered!!
                                                                                         Aaron Doncaster


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