Canada: Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne accuses Tim Hortons of bullying employees by reducing benefits

Son of Tim Horton's co-founder, Ron Joyce, and his wife issued a letter in December stating the employees will not get the benefit of paid breaks and also they will have to pay half the cost of dental and health benefits from Jan 1, 2018.

The company owns two restaurants in Ontario.

Wynne's reaction to the letter was quoted by Financial Post: "When I read the reports about Ron Joyce, Jr., who is a man whose family founded Tim Hortons, the chain was sold for billions of dollars, and when I read how he was treating his employees, it just felt to me like this was a pretty clear act of bullying."

"I hope that he understands this is really not a decent thing to be doing in a place as wealthy as Ontario" she added.

Expressing concern for the employees, the Ontario Premier said: "I hope he recognizes that his employees need to be treated decently."

The reduction in the benefits by the company came after the province increased the hourly wage of employees from $11.60 to $14.

Hitting out at the company, Wynne said Tim Hortons should restrain itself from taking a toll on the employees because of the pay hike by the Ontario. She said the company must walk up to her if it wants to challenge the Ontario government policy at all.

She even urged Tim Hortons to reverse its decision of cutting the employees' benefits.

(Reporting by Suman Das)

Image: Facebook page of Kathleen Wynne