Wine Rack's starting salary is $14.15/h. During #covid19 they are increasing pay to $16.15/h and forcing employees to choose between risking their lives selling Arterra brand wine, or refusing and taking a "voluntary" leave of absence. That means no EI or CERB.

The average Wine Merchant at Wine Rack receives approximately 22.5h/w of work (often less, but let's be generous). At $16.15/h, 22.5h/w, employees will receive only $1453.50 BEFORE taxes. CERB for one month is $2000.

The average Wine Rack employee will receive almost $600 less per month to risk their lives as "essential" employees than they would receive to stay home and practice proper social distancing. This is disgraceful.

Alcohol in a pandemic is an essential service. Alcohol withdrawal kills. But Wine Rack, which sells only Arterra brand wines and ciders, is not an essential service. It is clear that Wine Rack is using their dubious status as "essential" to put profit before people.

Wine Rack stores are small, making social distancing difficult. Employees receive no benefits and are not paid a living wage, even during this pandemic. Now, after a 2 week closure of street level stores, they are reopening profitable locations and forcing employees back to work.

All Wine Rack locations should be closed for the duration of this crisis. That includes "co-located" stores (locations in grocery stores). All workers should receive pay, whether in the form of EI + top-ups from the company, or CERB.

Until the curve is flattened, Wine Rack should not be forcing employees to return to work (or HIRING new people, which they are also doing!). Stay closed, let employees stay home, and stop creating new vectors for contamination!

And if they absolutely must reopen? If their temporary profit is so important that they are willing to risk the lives of workers and customers? Then pay your workers a living fucking wage. Pay them more than they would get while laid off and social distancing in their homes.

Because the lives of Wine Rack workers are worth more than $16.15/h. More than an extra $45/week. More than $180 extra per month. People I love are being asked to risk their lives for $2 extra per fucking hour, and I am not going to stand by quietly and let that happen.