Cutting costs to maintain profit margin is not punitive action, says reader

To the Editor:
RE: "Labour council to hold information picket Friday at Tim Hortons in downtown Kincardine"

I fail to see how cutting costs to maintain profit margin, is punitive action.

The owner of the store is entitled to make a profit and is not bound by the labour standards act to provide the benefits that are being cut.

The way the labour council would have it, the store operator would work at a loss just to maintain benefits that were provided. If that were to happen, the store owner would eventually decide to close, and ALL of the employees would not only be without benefits but without jobs as well.
 
These people need to do the math and calculate the cost of increasing the minimum wage before condemning the store owners. As costs rise, ways to maintain profit margin will always be created and the $15 pipe-dream minimum will only make it more inciting to automate as much as possible. How much does McDonald's save per year by having customers order from the kiosk?
 
And one needs to be reminded that the stores are independently owned and operated. The parent company, RBI, is the franchise holder not the employer.
 
Robert Moore
Kincardine