Vancouver-the Employee Action & Rights Network (EARN) is holding sit-ins at Mac’s Convenience Stores in Vancouver from 7:00 pm tonight, Saturday, April 12th until 6:00 am tomorrow, Sunday, April 13th to stand in solidarity with workers everywhere who have to work alone during late night hours in retail environments, and also to raise awareness of the watering down of the working alone legislation encompassed in Grant’s Law that was implemented on April 15, 2012.
The event in Vancouver will begin with news conferences at 7:00 pm, followed by sit-ins until 6:00 am the following morning.
Time: 7:00 pm (News Conference)
Sit-in: Overnight until Sunday at 6:00 am
Place: 601 East Broadway (Mac’s Convenience Store Parking Lot)
Speaker: Alanna Mulholland – EARN Spokesperson
These actions, paired with an ongoing public awareness campaign spearheaded by EARN, the B.C. Federation of Labour’s Occupational Health and Safety Committee, and the DePatie family, are designed to prompt the provincial government to restore Grant’s Law to its original strength. This law was named after 24-year old Grant DePatie who, while working as a gas station attendant, died due to a gas and dash incident.
“It’s not okay for employers to put people’s lives at risk to make a few extra dollars,” says Alanna Mulholland, Spokesperson for EARN. “It’s time for this government to really put families first, and make sure that loved ones get to come home at the end of their shifts.”
EARN activists are gathered in front of Mac’s Convenience Stores because they were the most vocal in the lobbying efforts to have the third option added to the working alone legislation in Grant’s Law which allows employers to use a panic button and security camera instead of having two workers on shift or having a barrier in place to protect workers during late night hours.
“Another year has gone by, and this government refuses to put workers’ safety ahead of interests of businesses,” states BCFED President Jim Sinclair. “When are we going to be able to send our kids to work and be sure that they will come home safely, no matter what time their shift ends?”