Winnipeg | Restaurants

[buzzg]

I know many people who have worked for and still do work for Stella's, and love it. Obviously what happened with a handful of the management was bad, but it sounds to me like they rectified the situation. It really seems like the staff at this location are just on another planet, and think they're going to change the world... in a way that would actually be detrimental to them (losing flexibility due to rigid requirements). It's pretty funny that of course it's the Wolseley location making all this fuss..

[drew]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I know many people who have worked for and still do work for Stella's, and love it. Obviously what happened with a handful of the management was bad, but it sounds to me like they rectified the situation. It really seems like the staff at this location are just on another planet, and think they're going to change the world... in a way that would actually be detrimental to them (losing flexibility due to rigid requirements). It's pretty funny that of course it's the Wolseley location making all this fuss..

Yeah, of course it's Wolseley.

I live in Wolseley, and I really hope this union doesn't end up sabotaging this Stella's, especially based on this seemingly frivolous campaign recently. It is close and a remains a great place to go.

[bomberjet]

I generally like Stella's. For a basic breakfast or for the Mexican breakfast.

[esquire]

The horror stories from that Not My Stella's campaign turned me off the place. My wife and kids love it so I will tolerate it if they want to go there and I can't find a way to avoid it, but Stella's is basically dead to me. Which is too bad, because I liked the food.

[drew]

Originally Posted by esquire

The horror stories from that Not My Stella's campaign turned me off the place. My wife and kids love it so I will tolerate it if they want to go there and I can't find a way to avoid it, but Stella's is basically dead to me. Which is too bad, because I liked the food.

If there was a "My (blank)" campaign for every restaurant in the city, you would probably never go into one again.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by drew

If there was a "My (blank)" campaign for every restaurant in the city, you would probably never go into one again.

Fair enough, but the difference is that now I actually know about what goes on at Stella's.

[TimeFadesAway]

Originally Posted by drew

If there was a "My (blank)" campaign for every restaurant in the city, you would probably never go into one again.

"Everybody does it" is not a reasonable defense of bad behaviour.

[Glenn99]

Originally Posted by TimeFadesAway

"Everybody does it" is not a reasonable defense of bad behaviour.

One of the demands is after one years service to not work weekends. I thought weekends when the restaurant is busiest would be the most desirable(more tips?). I predict this strike will last a long time and the location will eventually close. With covid on what incentive does mgmt. have to resolve the strike.

[trueviking]

Originally Posted by drew

Yeah, of course it's Wolseley.

I live in Wolseley, and I really hope this union doesn't end up sabotaging this Stella's, especially based on this seemingly frivolous campaign recently. It is close and a remains a great place to go.

I agree. It’s been transformational for the area. The service has gotten decidedly worse since it became unionized. I was there a while ago and waited 20 minutes for my bill. Finally went to find my server and saw her at the back surfing her phone. I guess she was on break.

Most of these demands are not appropriate for a restaurant. I feel like the employees were emboldened and now with a union to back them up they feel like they can ask for anything. Not transferring tables when they go on break? No work on weekends? really?

I fear unionization will kill this location. Which really sucks. Hopefully it’s busy enough to survive the damage of a union.

[buzzg]

I think it's telling that not a single other restaurant in the city has unionized (or even had a rumour about it) since this whole thing happened. Not transferring tables but not serving them for 15 minutes is absurd. Especially since in Manitoba by law business owns all money inflow – meaning technically owners don't have to give staff a cent of the tips, but obviously they do.

Also, the no weekends thing is laughable. Just like in any other business (and as unions always demand), the best or longest tenured people get to ask for the best schedules. Or if you don't want to work weekends, you make your 5 weekdays fully open. Some of these demands are things most restaurants do already, because they know how staffing works. Stella's is included in this.

Hell even in retail they don't just let people book off the holiday season or back to school time. I know salaried office employees of massive companies that are forced to use their holiday time between Christmas and NYE. Welcome to life.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by buzzg

I think it's telling that not a single other restaurant in the city has unionized (or even had a rumour about it) since this whole thing happened.

This is 100% incorrect. Without researching deep into this I know all the CanadInns properties, including some very busy restaurants, are unionized. As are the casinos and the popular Shark Club.

I think there are other hotel based restaurants that are unionized, for example I know a union which only meets in unionized places when possible held meetings at the Fairmont suggesting its Velvet Glove is unionized. Heck the Convention Centre also has union jobs although I am not sure if the food side is covered.

Notice how those places can all make unions work in food services? As I said before treat employees fairly and with dignity and you won't have issues with unions.

[esquire]

^ It is well known that there are food service elements of other organizations that are unionized (the hotels, casinos and convention facilities as you described, plus universities, hospitals and other institutions), but how many actual standalone restaurants without some other businesses to fall back on are there? I'm not aware of any besides Stella's. Was there a unionized Tim Horton's location? My memory is a little fuzzy.

But I do agree with your point. Employees should have some recourse other than just "if you don't like [the lack of regard for your rights as a worker -- the unspoken part] it, then quit". Otherwise when will it ever change? Maybe a few union drives at restaurants will put a little fear into restaurateurs and motivate them to improve conditions a bit.

I really don't get this "I had to put up with it when I was 22, so these 22 year olds should have to put up with it too" mentality. For heaven's sake these Stella's bosses sounded like straight up jerks. If the chain goes under everyone can take solace in the fact that they brought it on themselves.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by esquire

I'm not aware of any besides Stella's. Was there a unionized Tim Horton's location? My memory is a little fuzzy.

I forgot about that one. Somewhat ironically the Portage and approximately Wall St Tim's is the unionized location, again a Wolsey location. I recall hearing there are other locations, perhaps the Sherbroke one?

Originally Posted by esquire

But I do agree with your point. Employees should have some recourse other than just "if you don't like [the lack of regard for your rights as a worker -- the unspoken part] it, then quit". Otherwise when will it ever change? Maybe a few union drives at restaurants will put a little fear into restaurateurs and motivate them to improve conditions a bit.

It could even be something as simple as pushing management to pay for extra hours worked beyond your scheduled shift. If you ask for that you get exclusively scheduled for the most undesirable shifts, if you are willing to say work 10 hours and be paid for only 8 you get scheduled for the prime shifts with the best tips. Or being the bosses pet and getting say the Friday-Saturday-Sunday of a long weekend off but getting scheduled to work the stat with time and half pay while others have the opposite schedule.

Another issue in food services can be the standards of dress, especially for female workers (high heels, short skirts, etc).

[Jeff]

i agree with CoryB. having been a server at olive garden for years, they had an industry-leading benefits package and generally treated employees humanely which kept them completely ahead of the curve of anyone wanting to unionize and it retained staff remarkably well.

[buzzg]

Those places you mentioned were unionized before the Stella's thing, and it's pretty normal for banquet halls and hotels to have unions.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by CoryB

I forgot about that one. Somewhat ironically the Portage and approximately Wall St Tim's is the unionized location, again a Wolsey location. I recall hearing there are other locations, perhaps the Sherbroke one?



It could even be something as simple as pushing management to pay for extra hours worked beyond your scheduled shift. If you ask for that you get exclusively scheduled for the most undesirable shifts, if you are willing to say work 10 hours and be paid for only 8 you get scheduled for the prime shifts with the best tips. Or being the bosses pet and getting say the Friday-Saturday-Sunday of a long weekend off but getting scheduled to work the stat with time and half pay while others have the opposite schedule.

Another issue in food services can be the standards of dress, especially for female workers (high heels, short skirts, etc).

Thinking out loud but is this a widespread issue? One would think that the nicer someone presents themselves, the higher the tip they would receive, generally speaking. At the end of the day one would think the majority of servers play the game willingly because they want the tips. Like I've never been to Hooters but they provide a certain atmosphere people are after, it's kind of known when you sign up for it.

[OTA in Winnipeg]

Originally Posted by CoryB

It could even be something as simple as pushing management to pay for extra hours worked beyond your scheduled shift. If you ask for that you get exclusively scheduled for the most undesirable shifts, if you are willing to say work 10 hours and be paid for only 8 you get scheduled for the prime shifts with the best tips.

I was in the service industry for many years. I worked in a bunch of places from 17 years old until I was 33. The above never happened to me even once. You work the time, you get paid. Period.

I would never have put up with this kind of thinking, nor would anyone else I worked with back then. On the other hand, you know, it never came up.

[CoryB]

Shockingly both the standards of dress and mandatory unpaid overtime are issues in food services that have both made national news in Canada.

The standard of dress at times borders on sexual harassment and what I have heard from those stories is working as a server in a busy place while wearing the mandatory high heels can be painful and may even lead to permanent injuries. It is also gender discrimination as only female servers need to follow those standards.

The unpaid mandatory overtime is most common with an employer that specifically targets either recent immigrants or temporary foreign workers. Mostly as they lack the knowledge of Canadian labour standards are are worried about what losing their job could mean to their residency in Canada.

[esquire]

I wonder how much of the overall benefit of dress codes/standards even accrues to serving staff in the first place?

I don't know about you guys, but I tip pretty well the same 18% for good service regardless of whether I'm being served by a hot Earls girl or Aunt Myrna in black slacks over at Aalto's. But I would think there is enormous value to a restaurant owner in having a business with a glamourous, sexy image that packs them in consistently the way that Earls does.

I mean, I guess if you are a server at Earls there is a certain cool factor that comes with working at a place that is known for its serving staff, but in terms of tangible material benefit... how much do you really stand to gain personally?

[drew]

^ Earl's will be more consistently busy, and have a higher percentage of customers that are generous tippers. Bigger bills also give you bigger tips. Even assuming you have the same number of customers between Earl's and Aaltos - just the difference in the amount on the bills would make you considerably more in tips at Earl's.