Category: News

Rochester Regional Joint Board, Workers United, Sidney Hillman Health

3 days ago

Rainforest server is standing up to her employer and standing up for all restaurant workers. Article just out in the Niagara Review by John Law:

A long-time employee of the Rainforest Café in Niagara Falls says she was sent home from work Wednesday for wearing a protective face shield while serving customers.

Camille Sneddon of St. Catharines, who has worked at the Clifton Hill restaurant for 12 years, says she is “disappointed” that management appears to not be taking employee concerns seriously since Niagara went into Stage 3 of the provincial reopening last Friday.

With patrons once again allowed to eat inside restaurants, in limited capacity, Sneddon feels servers have the right to feel comfortable and safe on the job. She says a mask is not enough when serving a table full of patrons not wearing masks.

“It is impossible for us to physically distance from the guests in the restaurant,” she says.

The day after Sneddon received news that her sister in Tennessee had tested positive for COVID-19, she went to work Wednesday determined to wear a face shield. After serving two tables, her supervisor asked why she was wearing it. When she responded it was for increased safety, she says the supervisor went to consult with someone else, then returned saying she had to remove it.

“He said, ‘I don’t want everyone wearing that, so you can’t wear it.’ I said, ‘well, I’m not taking it off.’”

Sneddon was then told to cash out early and go home.

Despite the region’s mandatory mask bylaw going into effect Friday, Sneddon says servers are still at risk if customers remove their masks once seated. She says she brought this and other concerns to management as part of her duties with the Joint Health and Safety Committee, but says they were ignored.

Servers at Rainforest Café are represented by the Workers United Canada Council union, which filed a complaint about the matter Friday with the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Rainforest Café is part of a group of restaurants and hotels owned by Canadian Niagara Hotels. When asked about the incident, Canadian Niagara Hotels spokeswoman Sarah Vazquez says it takes the safety of its staff and customers “seriously” and provides mandatory masks for employees as part of its safety procedures. She says while staff are allowed to wear tight-fitting eye protection, face shields are ineffective and not permitted.

“Both Niagara Region Public Health and the province discourage (them) and note the very open nature of these shields make them ineffective for protection and give a false sense of security it might create to a worker.”

However, Dr. Andrea Feller, Niagara’s associate medical officer of health said while the public health department says a face shield is not a replacement for a mask, the department is not discouraging their use.

She said a shield can be worn in conjunction with a mask as an extra layer of protection, as is the case for many grocery store employees. She said while a shield, by itself, is not as effective at limiting the spread of COVID-19 as a mask, it can be an option for those who cannot wear a mask for medical reasons.

"If any employer has any questions about the recommendations, I would say they should give us a call or visit our website where a lot of that information can be found.” ... See MoreSee Less

Photo