Dollarama: We have plexiglass safety shields at all our 5,850 checkout counters.

SumOfUs response: On May 7th, 2020, we went to stores in Montreal and in Vancouver. Though there is some plexiglass on the side of the cashiers at some of the stores, the area where the cashiers are interacting with customers (where cashiers are susceptible to contract COVID), is clearly a soft plastic film.  Since May 7th, Dollarama has certainly increased its efforts to install plexiglass shields and that is directly linked to the pressure from SumOfUs members like you. 

Dollarama: Gloves and masks are provided to all workers who wish to wear them.

SumOfus response: We have testimony from workers at Dollarama warehouses that they were forced to purchase their own gloves and masks in April. Since then, Dollarama changed its policy, and as soon as it did SumOfUs applauded the gesture and removed it from its claims.

Dollarama: We have provided our frontline workers with a 10% premium pay increase effective March 24th and until July 1st, currently the longest committed period by any retailer. 

SumOfUs response: For workers earning minimum wage, a 10% premium represents only a low increase. For example, in Quebec, 10% means essential workers are paid $1,30 more per hour. We are asking Dollarama to meet the standards of other Canadian retailers like Wal-Mart and Canadian Tire that have increased danger pay to $2/hour. 

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Here is the testimony of one Dollarama employee, taken from The Montreal Gazette: “It’s a bit ridiculous,” said Laura, the Dollarama employee. “They announced it as a 10 per cent increase. They didn’t tell us this was a $1.25 increase because it wouldn’t have gone down well.”

The good news is that, thanks to SumOfUs and IWC member pressure, warehouse workers have received a $3/hour premium. 

Again, we can’t stress enough that this is the result of SumOfUs working in collaboration with the Immigrant Workers Center. Here is another testimony published in The Montreal Gazette on May 1st: “Charles, who was one of about 1,000 people employed at the Dollarama distribution centre in Montreal, also described horrendous working conditions, and a lack of measures to protect employees against being infected. He said no masks or gloves were provided, and there was no possibility to maintain a safe distance from others. When he complained to management about the situation, he said he was promptly fired.” (https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/workers-speak-up-for-better-conditions-during-covid-19-crisis).

It should be noted that Dollarama made $1.07 billion in sales in the last quarter alone, and it still took pressure from members like you to make marginal improvements to the working conditions of its lowest paid workers. 

Still, today, Dollarama refuses to extend its premium danger pay increase to all of its workers. 

We thank you for your message and for following up with us as we continue to put pressure on Dollarama. We invite to check out the attached images and to read some of the news reports on Dollarama thanks to your actions:

Former employees, customers raise concerns over Dollarama’s protective measures (https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2020/04/14/former-employees-customers-raise-concerns-over-dollaramas-protective-measures/).

The original SumOfUs petition (https://actions.sumofus.org/a/dollarama-stop)