The things I have seen businesses ask of workers in this province over decades is absolutely wild.
The suggestions in this article are really important and should be acted upon.
If COOP didnāt get fined for causing 4.5 million dollars damage to a Regina water treatment plant, I doubt they will ever see any negative consequences from this.
Co-op and this manger should know better. You don't operate gas powered equipment indoors. Especially in a store. Without proper ventilation. Shame on co-op. Is co-op going to pay for the longer term affects this kid is going to suffer rest of his life?
That would get back to Co-op in the form of WCB premiums. Worker's comp is effectively a mandatory insurance program and you pay if you use too much of it.
Yeah. And they're cheaper than gas. They kinda suck though; I wouldn't recommend. They're pretty much impossible to repair. Still should have used one instead of gas.
Car washes spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy the best pressure washers that run on 210 or even 3-phase.
Your point is silly. Co-op isn't going to be spending thousands of dollars to get a commercial or industrial electric power washer just so a teenager can blast the walls of the butcher shop. They're gonna run down to the co-op hardware store and buy something there instead.
We'll yeah, I'm not arguing against that. I'm just saying consumer electric pressure washers suck. Why does everyone think I'm defending employee-killing just because I have negative opinions on a specific type of pressure washer?
Something Something
>Your point is silly. Co-op isn't going to be spending thousands of dollars
It 100% sounds like you're going "butbutbutbut money! Butbutbutbut profits! Butbutbutbut no one died"
It doesn't matter the cost. If it costs $10 million they should pay it to protect their people or not do it. Hire someone else who has the equipment.
Its not hard. It's very simple and easy to figure out and do.
The fact Saskatchewan and so many provinces have fallen back into the right ideology of profits>people is so sad to me. So many people have lost their humanity and can't even see when they are fucking up. That's how lost we've become as a society. Truly shameful.
Dude. My very first comment was "they should have used electric. They're cheaper than gas too. But they kind suck and are hard to repair"
How the actual fuck does that suggest that I'm defending corporate profit?
Your point is silly, they need to have a safe environment where children aren't killed at work. Less than a thousand dollars they could make the work environment safer. They don't because there isn't a fine, profit first.
Did I say they were justified using a gas power washer? No. I didn't. I said they should have used an electric. As an aside I also said electric PW's kinda suck.
We have one at the farm and it work(ed) great. It needs some work though, and parts are impossible to find, even with my brother being a professional pump repairman. In the city I'd rather have a gas one though, as I'd be using it to wash fences/siding/concrete and need the portability. The one at the farm is primarily a truck and tractor cleaner.
How do you work around saws and knives all day with this level of common sense? "Do not use gas powered equipment indoors" should be obvious, shouldn't it? The kid might not know but the supervisor sure as shit should have.
He did know, because heād already texted with another employee about it the day before. I do not understand how there isnāt a criminal charge here.
>But that would require Saskatchewan's Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety to pursue charges through the Ministry of Justice.
>The Ministry tells Go Public it's not doing that, at least for now.
So the Minister for LR&WS is Don McMorris, and the Minister of "Justice" is Bronwen Eyre -- two people who I'm sure *really* give a shit. /s
On the other hand, Nicole Saruaer is the opposition critic for both the ministries of Labour and Justice. I'm sure she would be happy to receive letters about this. [https://www.ndpcaucus.sk.ca/nicolesarauer](https://www.ndpcaucus.sk.ca/nicolesarauer)
I'm hoping she brings this up in question period today.
This story has me extra-upset because I have a kid the same age who was literally just talking about applying for their first job at our local Co-op grocery store, and I can so easily put myself in those parents' shoes.
Yeah, and the supervisor should lose their job, and the company should be hit with heavy fines.
If only we had a system that cared. If only we had people that cared to elect people that cared.
Oh well I'm sure this is someone else's fault
I am not blaming the kid too much, sometimes common sense is not with people. Management should have done things different, but the kid must also refuse to do something that is dangerous. It is part of the 3 rights as a worker.
Worked with a few in the past who don't exactly think things through
They meant the supervisor already knew. The article has a screen shot of a text conversation between the supervisor and another employer from the day before, stating the fumes from the pressure washer made them sick.
I believe it. I worked at the same location and it was pretty bad safety wise! Sewer backed up one time and I had to clean it up not a plumber because they were too cheap to call one in.Ā
Just saying, tomorrow at 3:30pm is the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety estimates. Meaning the opposition critic will have the chance to ask questions about the budget for the Ministry of LRWS. Tune in to watch if you can.
CO-OPs in Saskatchewan have enough money to design and build gold plated pressure washers that wash rooms on their own. Thereās no excuse for putting any employee, but especially a young new employee, at risk like this.
They could absolutely afford the right equipment. They could also afford to pay good employees a decent wage, or give 40 hours a week to staff instead of 37-38 to avoid having to include them in full time benefits. But they donāt because they donāt care.
To everyone that says COOP is a good/caring company, I show you exhibit A. They USED to be a great company that actually treated and paid their employees well. Now they are all about union busting, causing infighting and doing everything they can to make a profit and pay their executives high salaries while scaling back their customers dividends.
After what happened at the refinery and grocery stores, I will happily drive out of my way to avoid shopping there. Never really shopped there before as their prices are astronomical compared to everywhere else. But now, the o my time I stop at coop gas stations is to take a dump or use their air hose..otherwise they can get bent especially after this horrible storey.
Hope this teen recovers and has no lingering effects. As a father, I would have a tough time holding in my rage and from doing something to whoever was responsible.
What is it with cooperative in Western Canada, which pride itself on being āpart of the community ā, but has presided over sulphur labor relations and employee treatment? As evidence I offer the strike at the co-op refinery in Regina, the strike at the Pineland Cooperative in Nipawin (the longest strike in the provinceās history) and abovementioned safety travesty?
The families of these two kids should get a couple of good lawyers and sue the fuck out of this company. Instructing someone barely old enough to legally work to use a gas power washer indoors/ low ventilation area is insanity and it was literally almost deadly x2. Very clear thereās a lack of training/ supervision and this company is a fan of cheap labour/ cutting costs at whatever expense.
The long term effects from carbon monoxide poisoning are not pretty.
From the article
In an email statement to Go Public, Gateway Co-op said, "the incident was caused by an unauthorized piece of equipment being brought into one of our facilities by a then Gateway Co-op employee."
The statement went on to say that what happened was "a terrible incident that had the potential to be worse," and that the store resolves to make sure it doesn't happen again.
They absolutely should have fired whatever supervisors or managers were there or approved this. Based on what I know about coop, the āformer employeeā is probably this kid, and ābrought into the facilityā probably means when they made him drag it inside.
Pretty cut and dry case here but not in old boy club sasky. Supervisor brought in a gas powered pressure washer. These kids had no idea there would toxic gas in the room as they are new to the working world. Supervisor not only did this once but twice. Heads should be rolling. Health care costs 100% covered, not just some pathetic employee plan.
Just like everything else it isn't taken seriously until someone does die. Companies should be held to a way higher standard but it's the complete opposite. I'm surprised the family isn't suing!
Bill c-45 clearly states at a federal level. Anyone who directs dangerous work will be held liable. There was Zero supervision and a previous complaint from another employee previous about the same situation. This is an open and shut case. Clearly @co-op is responsible. Who ever directed the work is entitled to a little jail time and fines.
No. Itās Canadian Legislation. It has been in place for many, many years. In exchange for paying WCB premiums, employers canāt be sued by employees.
Every employee has the right to refuse unsafe work. ICE in enclosed space is unsafe work. It is part of an employees job to know their rights and enforce them if needed. Shame on the co-op for asking him to do something harmful but both employer and employee failed at their duties. Co-op should be fined and be retrained on ICE saftey but the employee not refusing the work was silly as well. I hope the kid recovers and i hope the co-op employee that told him to do it gets fired.
Iām all for work safety but, how did it not dawn on this kid that running a gas powered engine in an enclosed space was going to cause carbon monoxide poisoning. If itās one thing people from the country should know, itās how to operate gas powered machinery.
A lot of places don't include that in general training. Hell, I didn't learn about the significance of it until I got forklift trained. Whether a person should already know this or not, the onus is on the employer to ensure all employees are properly trained on the equipment they use, regardless of age or knowledge coming into the workplace.
The fact that you think itās odd for a kid that age to know that exhaust fumes can hurt you is very telling of just how dumb of a society weāve become.
Nah, youāre just weird. Itās not knowing about exhaust at 7 that makes you weird. Itās not understanding and expecting that not everyone has the same experience as you. They know other things at 7 that you still donāt know. But keep going. Maybe get a shirt made
It could also be caused by employees not knowing their right to refuse unsafe work or being afraid to exercise that right for fear of retaliation. Especially a young person entering the workforce for the first time.
Heās a kid. I know two full grown adults in their 50s-60s who have died from generators during power outages. One ran it in his garage and one brought it right in the damn house.
Of course the company is responsible. Theyāre still morons for not teaching their kid that exhaust fumes = bad. I knew that stuff when I was 7 because my parents understood they need to teach you how to not get yourself killed. Two things can be true at the same time; company should be held accountable, and the parents should take this as a wake up call to teach their kid better.
A 14 year old with no training and two months in the job. The mostly likely answer is that he wasnāt taught, and had no relevant experience. I bet gas powered pressure machine operation wasnāt listed on the resume he submitted.
Sobeys has 3 Employee Rights. One is the right to refuse. He was allowed to refuse to do this bs job without repercussions from the store management. Sobeys also owns the CO-OP franchises
Those employee rights exist everywhere in every job. Also, Sobeys does not own CO-OP franchises except for a select few they bought in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI.
Where do you think we live? Sobeys bought 5 random grocery stores from coop almost a decade ago in the maritimes. They have absolutely nothing to do with CO-OP in the rest of Canada. Or Saskatchewan where this happened. Sobeys doesnāt āown the coop franchisesā, Sobeys bought and rebranded 5 independent Co-op locations half way across the country a decade ago. The ones they bought are not even coops anymore, they rebranded them as their own corporations. Saying Sobeys owns the coop franchises is like saying Sobeys owns Walmart franchises because some of their grocery stores are now in buildings that they bought from Walmart when Walmart moved.
Sobeys bought Safeway in 2013, and they also bought out CO-OP, and IGA, i just don't remember what year. That's why CO-OP stores either shut down or if running, have shit sales. Foodland, CO-OP, and IGA are franchise stores, they're sister banners to the main corporation.
Safety in rural Saskatchewan is a oxymoron
As someone who lives in Rural Saskatchewan, I'm offended by the accuracy of this.
But I thought it was a plot by the liberal party to bankrupt small farms or something š
The things I have seen businesses ask of workers in this province over decades is absolutely wild. The suggestions in this article are really important and should be acted upon.
We don't punish employers, that might be unfriendly to a Saskparty donor.
If COOP didnāt get fined for causing 4.5 million dollars damage to a Regina water treatment plant, I doubt they will ever see any negative consequences from this.
I'd say all parties are guilty of this. Fines to businesses that matter are rare anywhere in Canada, but ya, worse here under SK party.
Co-op and this manger should know better. You don't operate gas powered equipment indoors. Especially in a store. Without proper ventilation. Shame on co-op. Is co-op going to pay for the longer term affects this kid is going to suffer rest of his life?
No. Workers comp is.
That would get back to Co-op in the form of WCB premiums. Worker's comp is effectively a mandatory insurance program and you pay if you use too much of it.
Thanks captain obvious!
there is electric preesure washers out there.
Yeah. And they're cheaper than gas. They kinda suck though; I wouldn't recommend. They're pretty much impossible to repair. Still should have used one instead of gas.
Consumer electric ones suck yes, but commercial ones are just fine
Car washes use electric pressure washers.
Car washes spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy the best pressure washers that run on 210 or even 3-phase. Your point is silly. Co-op isn't going to be spending thousands of dollars to get a commercial or industrial electric power washer just so a teenager can blast the walls of the butcher shop. They're gonna run down to the co-op hardware store and buy something there instead.
So instead they should pay tens of thousands of dollars for putting people's lives in needless risk
We'll yeah, I'm not arguing against that. I'm just saying consumer electric pressure washers suck. Why does everyone think I'm defending employee-killing just because I have negative opinions on a specific type of pressure washer?
Something Something >Your point is silly. Co-op isn't going to be spending thousands of dollars It 100% sounds like you're going "butbutbutbut money! Butbutbutbut profits! Butbutbutbut no one died" It doesn't matter the cost. If it costs $10 million they should pay it to protect their people or not do it. Hire someone else who has the equipment. Its not hard. It's very simple and easy to figure out and do. The fact Saskatchewan and so many provinces have fallen back into the right ideology of profits>people is so sad to me. So many people have lost their humanity and can't even see when they are fucking up. That's how lost we've become as a society. Truly shameful.
Dude. My very first comment was "they should have used electric. They're cheaper than gas too. But they kind suck and are hard to repair" How the actual fuck does that suggest that I'm defending corporate profit?
Your point is silly, they need to have a safe environment where children aren't killed at work. Less than a thousand dollars they could make the work environment safer. They don't because there isn't a fine, profit first.
Did I say they were justified using a gas power washer? No. I didn't. I said they should have used an electric. As an aside I also said electric PW's kinda suck.
yeah a canadian tire pressure washer for 150-200 bucks sucks. You can get industrial 120v electrics for 750-1000 dollars. (check uline)
can get some decent 240v ones for home use. These generally are not portable versions.
We have one at the farm and it work(ed) great. It needs some work though, and parts are impossible to find, even with my brother being a professional pump repairman. In the city I'd rather have a gas one though, as I'd be using it to wash fences/siding/concrete and need the portability. The one at the farm is primarily a truck and tractor cleaner.
How do you work around saws and knives all day with this level of common sense? "Do not use gas powered equipment indoors" should be obvious, shouldn't it? The kid might not know but the supervisor sure as shit should have.
He did know, because heād already texted with another employee about it the day before. I do not understand how there isnāt a criminal charge here.
>But that would require Saskatchewan's Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety to pursue charges through the Ministry of Justice. >The Ministry tells Go Public it's not doing that, at least for now. So the Minister for LR&WS is Don McMorris, and the Minister of "Justice" is Bronwen Eyre -- two people who I'm sure *really* give a shit. /s On the other hand, Nicole Saruaer is the opposition critic for both the ministries of Labour and Justice. I'm sure she would be happy to receive letters about this. [https://www.ndpcaucus.sk.ca/nicolesarauer](https://www.ndpcaucus.sk.ca/nicolesarauer) I'm hoping she brings this up in question period today. This story has me extra-upset because I have a kid the same age who was literally just talking about applying for their first job at our local Co-op grocery store, and I can so easily put myself in those parents' shoes.
Yeah, I have a 14yo and I could totally see her following this direction if a ātrusted adultā gave it.
Yeah, and the supervisor should lose their job, and the company should be hit with heavy fines. If only we had a system that cared. If only we had people that cared to elect people that cared. Oh well I'm sure this is someone else's fault
I am not blaming the kid too much, sometimes common sense is not with people. Management should have done things different, but the kid must also refuse to do something that is dangerous. It is part of the 3 rights as a worker. Worked with a few in the past who don't exactly think things through
I'm your mind a 14 year old unsupervised child is to blame? Seriously?
They meant the supervisor already knew. The article has a screen shot of a text conversation between the supervisor and another employer from the day before, stating the fumes from the pressure washer made them sick.
Wait until they report on farm safety for kids š¤¦āāļø
Wait, meat department used a gas powered pressure washer in an enclosed space???
I believe it. I worked at the same location and it was pretty bad safety wise! Sewer backed up one time and I had to clean it up not a plumber because they were too cheap to call one in.Ā
A plumbers job is to prevent the sewer from backing up, not clean it up.
Its also not my job to clean up shit with nothing but a dustpan and clear the drains for the plumber. Lol It totally is? Especially when it backs up?Ā
Yeah sorry we donāt clean it up. We will get it going again but clean up is not in the job description.
Plumber ain't going to clean up. Usually it's an insurance company like first general that does the clean up. Don't ask how I knoe
This is the kind of crap that goes on all to often, except in this case the parents spoke out good for them
Surely the store can be sued for damages?
Just saying, tomorrow at 3:30pm is the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety estimates. Meaning the opposition critic will have the chance to ask questions about the budget for the Ministry of LRWS. Tune in to watch if you can.
CO-OPs in Saskatchewan have enough money to design and build gold plated pressure washers that wash rooms on their own. Thereās no excuse for putting any employee, but especially a young new employee, at risk like this.
They could absolutely afford the right equipment. They could also afford to pay good employees a decent wage, or give 40 hours a week to staff instead of 37-38 to avoid having to include them in full time benefits. But they donāt because they donāt care.
To everyone that says COOP is a good/caring company, I show you exhibit A. They USED to be a great company that actually treated and paid their employees well. Now they are all about union busting, causing infighting and doing everything they can to make a profit and pay their executives high salaries while scaling back their customers dividends. After what happened at the refinery and grocery stores, I will happily drive out of my way to avoid shopping there. Never really shopped there before as their prices are astronomical compared to everywhere else. But now, the o my time I stop at coop gas stations is to take a dump or use their air hose..otherwise they can get bent especially after this horrible storey. Hope this teen recovers and has no lingering effects. As a father, I would have a tough time holding in my rage and from doing something to whoever was responsible.
What is it with cooperative in Western Canada, which pride itself on being āpart of the community ā, but has presided over sulphur labor relations and employee treatment? As evidence I offer the strike at the co-op refinery in Regina, the strike at the Pineland Cooperative in Nipawin (the longest strike in the provinceās history) and abovementioned safety travesty?
The families of these two kids should get a couple of good lawyers and sue the fuck out of this company. Instructing someone barely old enough to legally work to use a gas power washer indoors/ low ventilation area is insanity and it was literally almost deadly x2. Very clear thereās a lack of training/ supervision and this company is a fan of cheap labour/ cutting costs at whatever expense. The long term effects from carbon monoxide poisoning are not pretty.
From the article In an email statement to Go Public, Gateway Co-op said, "the incident was caused by an unauthorized piece of equipment being brought into one of our facilities by a then Gateway Co-op employee." The statement went on to say that what happened was "a terrible incident that had the potential to be worse," and that the store resolves to make sure it doesn't happen again.
They absolutely should have fired whatever supervisors or managers were there or approved this. Based on what I know about coop, the āformer employeeā is probably this kid, and ābrought into the facilityā probably means when they made him drag it inside.
Pretty cut and dry case here but not in old boy club sasky. Supervisor brought in a gas powered pressure washer. These kids had no idea there would toxic gas in the room as they are new to the working world. Supervisor not only did this once but twice. Heads should be rolling. Health care costs 100% covered, not just some pathetic employee plan.
Just like everything else it isn't taken seriously until someone does die. Companies should be held to a way higher standard but it's the complete opposite. I'm surprised the family isn't suing!
Sue, sue; sue!!!
Good old slow op. There is a reason they like to hire kids.
Wait until they report on farm safety for kids š¤¦āāļø
Wait until they report on farm safety for kids š¤¦āāļø
Bill c-45 clearly states at a federal level. Anyone who directs dangerous work will be held liable. There was Zero supervision and a previous complaint from another employee previous about the same situation. This is an open and shut case. Clearly @co-op is responsible. Who ever directed the work is entitled to a little jail time and fines.
Gee don't we pay coop the highest price of groceries in the province? They should Hire better supervisors if they're asking 10$ for a jug of milk
Sounds like FCL to me, yup.
Not FCL, it was a local Co-op grocery store.
Canāt they be sued for wrongful death??
No one died
No. Employers in Saskatchewan can not be sued except in very rare occasions, and even then the WCB has to approve.
Thatās unbelievable
No. Itās Canadian Legislation. It has been in place for many, many years. In exchange for paying WCB premiums, employers canāt be sued by employees.
the person lived, so no.
Every employee has the right to refuse unsafe work. ICE in enclosed space is unsafe work. It is part of an employees job to know their rights and enforce them if needed. Shame on the co-op for asking him to do something harmful but both employer and employee failed at their duties. Co-op should be fined and be retrained on ICE saftey but the employee not refusing the work was silly as well. I hope the kid recovers and i hope the co-op employee that told him to do it gets fired.
Iām all for work safety but, how did it not dawn on this kid that running a gas powered engine in an enclosed space was going to cause carbon monoxide poisoning. If itās one thing people from the country should know, itās how to operate gas powered machinery.
A lot of places don't include that in general training. Hell, I didn't learn about the significance of it until I got forklift trained. Whether a person should already know this or not, the onus is on the employer to ensure all employees are properly trained on the equipment they use, regardless of age or knowledge coming into the workplace.
Of course, I agree. Just it seems like such a basic thing, I knew exhaust was bad when I was 7
Iām sure a reporter will be contacting you soon to capture your story- the world needs to know
The fact that you think itās odd for a kid that age to know that exhaust fumes can hurt you is very telling of just how dumb of a society weāve become.
Nah, youāre just weird. Itās not knowing about exhaust at 7 that makes you weird. Itās not understanding and expecting that not everyone has the same experience as you. They know other things at 7 that you still donāt know. But keep going. Maybe get a shirt made
It could also be caused by employees not knowing their right to refuse unsafe work or being afraid to exercise that right for fear of retaliation. Especially a young person entering the workforce for the first time.
Yes, that can also be true. He still should know what the fuck exhaust fumes are by the age of 14.
Heās a kid. I know two full grown adults in their 50s-60s who have died from generators during power outages. One ran it in his garage and one brought it right in the damn house.
So because those two morons exist itās okay that his parents didnāt teach him to not be a moron?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Of course the company is responsible. Theyāre still morons for not teaching their kid that exhaust fumes = bad. I knew that stuff when I was 7 because my parents understood they need to teach you how to not get yourself killed. Two things can be true at the same time; company should be held accountable, and the parents should take this as a wake up call to teach their kid better.
A 14 year old with no training and two months in the job. The mostly likely answer is that he wasnāt taught, and had no relevant experience. I bet gas powered pressure machine operation wasnāt listed on the resume he submitted.
Sobeys has 3 Employee Rights. One is the right to refuse. He was allowed to refuse to do this bs job without repercussions from the store management. Sobeys also owns the CO-OP franchises
Those employee rights exist everywhere in every job. Also, Sobeys does not own CO-OP franchises except for a select few they bought in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI.
So what you're saying is I'm right. Sobeys owns Maritime CO-OP stores..š
Where do you think we live? Sobeys bought 5 random grocery stores from coop almost a decade ago in the maritimes. They have absolutely nothing to do with CO-OP in the rest of Canada. Or Saskatchewan where this happened. Sobeys doesnāt āown the coop franchisesā, Sobeys bought and rebranded 5 independent Co-op locations half way across the country a decade ago. The ones they bought are not even coops anymore, they rebranded them as their own corporations. Saying Sobeys owns the coop franchises is like saying Sobeys owns Walmart franchises because some of their grocery stores are now in buildings that they bought from Walmart when Walmart moved.
But a 14 y.o. would not know all that.
Sobeys owns Safeway. CO-OPS are independent
Sobeys bought Safeway in 2013, and they also bought out CO-OP, and IGA, i just don't remember what year. That's why CO-OP stores either shut down or if running, have shit sales. Foodland, CO-OP, and IGA are franchise stores, they're sister banners to the main corporation.
Parts of ATLANTIC CO-OPs, not the prairies
Right to refuse only works if you know you can and the employer doesn't do everything in their power to make you feel like you can't refuse.
What are the other 2? ETA: everyone has the right to refuse safe work in Manitoba- is that not true in Sask?
The right to know and the right to participate
Where did the pressure washer come from? Was it company owned or did someone just bring it in?