Tribunal determines workers’ complaint to Ottawa 'at the very least' influenced their termination
The Manitoba Labour Board has found that the Best Western Thompson Hotel & Suites violated the rights of three temporary foreign workers by firing them after they reported alleged mistreatment to federal authorities.
The hotel dismissed Jamaicah Malindatu, Abbygail Enriquez, and John Rafael Maravilla—all from the Philippines—in retaliation for contacting Ottawa’s tip line for abuse within the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP), according to the Winnipeg Free Press.
The ruling has not yet been made public, according to the report.
Employers must tread carefully after discrimination complaints, according to experts.
Malindatu, Enriquez and Maravilla had been working as housekeepers at the Thompson hotel on closed work permits. They filed complaints with federal officials in April 2024, citing workplace mistreatment, including emotional abuse, surveillance via security cameras, and verbal reprimands over hotel radios, according to the Free Press report.
Following a call from a federal government staffer to the hotel on April 15, 2024, the workers received letters of direction accusing them of misconduct, including failing to meet cleaning quotas and challenging managerial authority. Within two weeks, all three were dismissed.
The Labour Board concluded that the timing of the letters and dismissals strongly suggested a...
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