By Beth Fitzpatrick, past-president, CUPE 3550

Did you know that there is something a lot like slave labour going on in this city? Surprised? Well, unfortunately, it is the truth. Buffet World, a popular eatery on Calgary Trail is "hiring" young people under 18, telling them that the first five days are for "training" and that after that they will pay them $4.50 per hour. The youngsters do all of the requirements of the position, under our labour standards that constitutes employment, but Buffet World doesn’t pay them a cent for the first five days. Then, in many cases, they tell them they "didn’t work out" and fire them. This way they get five days of free labour for nothing!

When confronted, the manager of Buffet World claimed that Alberta Employment Standards condoned the "training". When I approached Alberta Employment Standards they said that under no circumstances would they condone such actions and that there had been somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 claims against Buffet World for unfair labour practices. The young people who knew they had rights made those 100+ claims. I would suspect that many kids don’t know they can make a claim, allowing Buffet World to get away with "free" labour for quite some time. And, what happens if one of their so-called "trainees" is hurt on the job? Do they qualify for Workers’ Compensation, or are they simply fired?

I urge Edmontonians to boycott Buffet World. What they are doing to young people is not only illegal, it is morally and ethically wrong. We try to encourage young people to become productive citizens by getting jobs. What kind of message are the ex-"trainees" from Buffet World getting?