To the editor:
I wrote to "My Macs" again today. More people should do the same.
Years ago, as an employee of Mac's Mart, I expected to be robbed (or worse) every night I worked for this company. I thought that feeling was normal as it was my first job and I didn't have anything to compare it to.
I can tell you today this is completely unacceptable, and I don't want anyone else to have to feel that way. I hope the residents of Thunder Bay give voice to their concerns, and support the workers in a demand for safety in the workplace.
Here is my letter to My Macs:
I just felt a responsibility to weigh in on the rash of Mac’s Convenience Store robberies occurring in Thunder Bay.
Some people may feel that this is something new, and to be sure the frequency may have increased, but this issue is longstanding and I feel it should have been better addressed long ago.
About a decade ago I wrote to the Mac’s corporation about my experiences as an employee, urging them to take action in the protection of their workers. I worked alternating midnight shifts with my brother at the time.
Although I felt unsafe during every shift, and people often boldly stole in the middle of the night, this unease was especially heightened after my brother was robbed.
As the young man in a nylon mask chased my brother cat-and-mouse style around the display racks wielding a machete and screaming “Do you want to die!” I was justifiably concerned the following night when I began my shift knowing this occurrence was far too common at my place of work.
In accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act, an employer has the primary duty to “take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.”
It is my opinion that over a decade of violence perpetrated against workers at this organization proves Mac’s has failed utterly in its responsibly to protect its workers. I still stand behind the main suggestion in my original letter to Mac’s officials.
I want to see two employees scheduled to work evening shifts, and I want to see the store closed and locked during the night, with a walk-up window for customers to utilize. I know the modifications would initially cost money to implement, and this doesn’t seem as convenient for customers, but it is my opinion that convenience does not out-weigh the personal safety and welfare of the individuals who are being exposed to violence in the workplace.
Kyla Turner,
Thunder Bay
