Putting the lid on Canada Goose biffy battle

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This article was published 14/08/2020 (1936 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Canada Goose factory workers may be close to end of their toilet troubles.

Employees at the company’s factory, at 1455 Mountain Ave., complained they have been forced to use outdoor portable toilets for at least two weeks because indoor facilities are under repair.

They went public this week, saying the outdoor toilets are not adequately cleaned, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of them rush home during their 30-minute break to use their own bathrooms. One worker said others drive around to find a public washroom and some people had kept commodes in their vehicles for use.

Canada Goose, which makes expensive outerwear, said it leases the building from Colliers International.

“The safety of our facilities and health of our employees is a top priority for Canada Goose. Over the past two weeks, the bathroom facilities at our Mountain Avenue location have been closed intermittently for repair. During this time, temporary facilities have been made available for staff. Our team continues to work with property management to ensure that our standards for health and safety are upheld, including a dedicated cleaner for the temporary facilities during all working hours,” Canada Goose said in a statement.

A spokesperson at Colliers said it follows pandemic guidelines issued by local health authorities, including the sanitization of the porta-potties. They are cleaned after each use.

In the meantime, it said indoor facilities will reopen.

“We have been working closely with the affected tenants, engineers, relevant contractors, and the City of Winnipeg to address the unforeseen plumbing issues at the facility,” said the spokesperson. “All throughout, we have held regular site meetings with tenants to keep them informed of the status of the repair. These repairs have now been completed.”

Friday afternoon, a protest in support of the workers by Winnipeg Youth United was downscaled because of rain.

Winnipeg Youth United is a student-led group organized by Black, Indigenous, and people of colour who advocate for social and economic justice. Many of the workers at the plant are minorities.

Protest organizer Jo Ann Pinera said those who attended were drenched while they held up signs in support of the workers who were getting off shift at 3:30 p.m.

Pinera said some workers were told the bathrooms will be open on Monday.

kellen.taniguchi@freepress.mb.ca