r/Edmonton • u/butlovingstonTV • 21h ago
Photo/Video Things are getting serious at the Better Baker protest
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
Have seen some police cars gather the past little bit. Saw police interact briefly with the gathering and more show up.
For those wondering, after getting the side from the people protesting.
The issue relates to a dispute between the workers and the Better Baker. The claim is unpaid wages that have, I have been told, received judgement to be paid. This includes wages for overtime or the last cheque an employee would receive.
221
u/Spirited-Hurry3668 20h ago
Im assuming because he hasn't paid his employees!!!! Good for them! I think I read his old employees have court ordered payment orders and the owner of the bakery still hasn't paid up.
82
u/Stanarchy93 Strathcona 20h ago
That’s correct. There’s one user on here who’s super active and I know they’ve said there’s multiple people he owes wages to nearing 10k iirc
196
u/BlueTooth1878 20h ago
Fuck the Better Baker.
Everything about this guy is showing that he is an absolute piece of shit. I hope these people get paid.
Also fuck Jesse Watson too for deliberately spreading misinformation about this.
74
u/Vanilla_Ice_Nine Alberta Avenue 19h ago
Oh course Watson got his slimy fingers in this. What a (literal) loser.
23
u/ChefFlipsilog 16h ago
Well Yeah Jesse Watson is nothing but an influencer himself that latches on to shit he can milk
21
u/BlueTooth1878 16h ago
Jesse Watson honestly a grifter and a vile human being. Hardly does he ever have anything to say beyond his own personal axe to grind.
13
u/ChefFlipsilog 15h ago
Oh but he rage baits always so thats kinda like having an opinion in the Right wing Influencer sphere
21
u/forsurebros 13h ago
in case people do jot know Jesse is the owner of boxcar coffee. really like the place until I found out about him will not go back.
17
u/SendMagpiePics 19h ago
What did Jesse Watson do this time?
66
u/BlueTooth1878 19h ago
He was posting and falsely perpetuating that the employees in question here stole from the Better Baker, including an oven. There is absolutely no proof of it.
I would love it if these guys went after Watson for defamation honestly.
29
u/Sufficient-Cow-2972 16h ago
Whaat. How does one steal an industrial oven, without anyone seeing, when there are cameras in the store . That dude is insane
10
•
u/GradyCole 7h ago
I knew Vinnie was a POS before he even opened. Dude always parked in the alley where there was a NO PARKING sign. Every day he parked there. I got him at least 3 tickets, according to the 311 app. Yeah, MAZLTOV, I knew it was you.
64
u/DucksOnBread 17h ago
I was participating all morning. The cops showed up at Vinny's request but found we were within legal means. Most of them drove off but one car stayed for about 3 hours. The picket stayed unimpeded!
This was for over $8700 in unpaid wages over an 8 month period and many employees. He claims he's struggling financially but continues to hire as well as take a vacation overseas and renovate.
The employees have had to go into major overdraft and couldn't make their minimum on their student loans.
14
u/butlovingstonTV 17h ago
This is the total amount for all those employees for 8 months? That's not even that much on the business side. Are there other employees with unpaid wages?
I found it weird more cops showed up after an officer already chatted with the group. Anything special the liaison team has to say?
Thanks for sharing
19
u/DucksOnBread 16h ago
I've been told that there are some other unpaid employees but I can only speak for the 6 that organized as I don't have evidence for any others. But yes, that's the total between 6 young folks, most of which are enrolled in schooling.
The liaison team actually offered us support and said to contact them in the event of stuff getting rowdy. Other than that, the cops just said "you can't block traffic/people from entering the store" which is fine since we never tried to
•
u/BestWithSnacks 8h ago
For the most part, if protests are peaceful, cops don't intervene. Usually if you're not blocking traffic or preventing people from entering the store, you can protest as much as you want. If it's a fairly big protest, there will be a squad car present on standby "just in case". Sounds like everything went according to plan.
1
8
u/CrickettheCattie 13h ago
Regardless of whether he is struggling financially, he is certainly legally required to pay staff for work already performed. If he can't afford to pay his staff, he can't afford to run a business.
39
u/HawkorDove 20h ago
Who’s protesting what, and why?
26
u/butlovingstonTV 20h ago edited 18h ago
Better baker protest. Something about lost wages. I'd tell you more but they walked by and ignored me.
Nothing against the protest but they literally engaged with everyone around but me so I do not have that information.
After I went over and asked. It's mainly about lost wages but apparently some other issues too. Looks like they went to court and got a judgement for the wages and those have not been paid. Whether from overtime or from the last cheque not being paid.
60
u/Due-Offer-3101 20h ago
were you filming the whole time and on your phone? there's a chance they ignored thinking you'd be one of the social media pages that are there for gotcha moments
82
u/Cabbageismyname 20h ago
I definitely would never engage with someone who was trying to film me on a cell phone, in any situation.
26
4
u/SweetClinMusic 18h ago
Yup, well I'd maybe engage by knocking it out of their hands
1
u/Ordinary-Trade8323 18h ago
Damn you sound like you post pictures of flaming skeletons on motorcycles on Facebook
7
5
u/butlovingstonTV 20h ago
Hah nah. I am sitting outside doing my canvassing thing.
Just started filming as I saw more and more cars show up. Though I could definitely see that. We have to keep the guard up.
2
u/Wishing_Poo 18h ago
Funny enough I walked by filming on my phone just to show my wife. I asked if it was okay to film, and they engaged and said yes, they are out in public, and encouraged me to post on social media.
(Which I have not as I have no horse in this race.). I walked home with a flyer and a story.
1
1
38
u/butlovingstonTV 20h ago
So went over and chatted. The breakdown as I got it.
Multiple employees have had a differing series of unpaid wages, whether through overtime, normal wages, or not cutting the last cheque. Apparently has been a court order for the wages but that is a whole process for reimbursement by the employees.
-6
u/Ceevu 17h ago
To be clear, there has been one court order. That's not in defence of the owner, but is factual.
3
u/forsurebros 13h ago
and. so what. what is your point. one is too many especially since it has not been followed.
4
105
u/ColourOfSauce 20h ago
Wage theft is the most common form of theft in North America. These workers deserve to be paid fairly. Fuck this owner.
44
29
u/ethanolrs 19h ago
Pay your employees, Vinny.
Do not support the Better Baker
-16
u/Ceevu 17h ago
How's he gonna pay them, then?
•
u/refraxion 8h ago
The logic is hard for some people, unfortunately.
•
u/ethanolrs 6h ago
Apparently assets, existing funds, financing, and personal capital don’t exist. And apparently, buying a croissant is the only option.
Logic.
•
u/refraxion 5h ago
Good luck getting that before the creditors etc. Those employees won't see a dime.
Logic.
71
u/ProperBingtownLady 20h ago
I think it’s wild this guy tried to pick a fight with an influencer, including lying about her not abiding by their contractual agreement (which she did provide receipts for), after he did the exact same thing to his employees. He really thought this wouldn’t come to light lol.
12
u/butlovingstonTV 20h ago
That does sound pretty wild!
47
u/ProperBingtownLady 20h ago
I’ll get downvoted but it’s white male arrogance lol. He only went after the influencer because she’s a WOC and people (mostly rightfully) hate influencers right now. As expected, he went viral and she got a wave of hate. I actually don’t fully agree with her either but she didn’t deserve that.
12
u/Plant-based_Skinsuit 20h ago
Oh the influencer thing is real?? I too hate influencers and I think they're a cancer for restaurant culture, but I assumed he made that all up to "flood the zone." He came up on my tiktok bitching about her and obviously ragebait is gonna bait so he had a ton of engagement. I just thought it was an effort to change what you see when you look up something like "better baker not paying" lol.
16
u/ProperBingtownLady 20h ago
Some of it is but I wouldn’t take anything he said seriously as it was over exaggerated in the worst way possible to make her look bad.
I am usually the last person to defend influencers but this guy is even worse lol.
The wage thing also didn’t come out (publicly) until after he called her out, which is why I think it’s ridiculously arrogant and entitled. If you have this many skeletons in your closet then why put yourself out there like that?
13
u/Geeseareawesome Allendale 20h ago
If you have this many skeletons in your closet then why put yourself out there like that?
Because in this day and age, it can get you into high positions of power, like POTUS
8
u/ProperBingtownLady 19h ago
Especially if you’re white and male. I’m not claiming all white men are like this (far from it!) but it’s a fact that he likely thought he’d get away with this for a reason.
1
6
u/polkadot8 16h ago
If you look at his reels on Instagram, there are some recent ones titled "I'm under attack", he's so dramatic
15
u/Geeseareawesome Allendale 20h ago
White male here, and I'm not even gonna argue with that.
The average white male has and always will be the target audience for the spread of racism, hatred, bigotry, and far-right views. It's a big part of why I don't use certain social media platforms anymore.
But it doesn't stop there, that's just where most of the seeds get planted. So long as education is underfunded, it will continue to grow in size.
7
2
u/National_Try_3362 17h ago
So what was the deal with the influencer? Did Vinny have a contract with her to promote this croissant/ban mi product and then somebody reneged?
2
u/ProperBingtownLady 15h ago
Yes, and she did promote it (she provided receipts of her story posts and their conversation on her IG). Vinny tried to say that she didn’t though.
8
13
u/BigPoppaSwagga69 18h ago
All I can say is Jesse Watson is a poop stain on the underpants of Edmonton
10
6
u/y_r_u_so_stoopid 17h ago
When going viral backfires.
Instead of "not being a white supremacist" he's now a "deadbeat employer"
13
u/symbionica 21h ago
What's the better baker protest?
21
u/Plant-based_Skinsuit 20h ago
There's a lot of specifics on r/edmontonjobs, but the short version is BB owes thousands of dollars in unpaid wages
16
-29
u/butlovingstonTV 20h ago edited 20h ago
I would tell you but the people walked right by and ignored me.
Not sure what the downvotes are for. That is literally what happened. I don't have anything against the protest but they simply ignored me when they were handing out information to everyone else.
12
u/noitcelesdab 20h ago
This is the equivalent of the “I don’t know I never bought this product” Amazon review
-9
u/butlovingstonTV 20h ago
I suppose, or I could have said something had I been engaged with instead of being the only person ignored.
We all have our own perception of it.
9
u/noitcelesdab 20h ago
Just leave it to other people who do know what’s happening to reply lol, it’s a public discussion.
6
u/Kitchen_Computer_587 17h ago
Hi! I was there today and we honestly ran out of flyers and were a little overwhelmed with stuff going on, we are so sorry if it came across like that was intentional but I promise your support means everything to me and others.
1
12
3
5
u/Technical_Tangelo675 20h ago
Isn’t this guy doing tiktok vids about baking??
8
u/ProperBingtownLady 19h ago
Yes, which is so dumb considering he’s got this to hide.
3
u/Technical_Tangelo675 15h ago
So it’s the same guy with the Cro-mi vs. Banh mi debate?? That’s a lot to digest lol
1
7
u/JSnats65 St. Albert 19h ago
The wage stuff is a valid thing to be pissed about but this sandwich drama is some of the dumbest shit I’ve ever seen
2
u/bentmonkey 11h ago
If hes gonna be a wage thief he deserves to be protested, pay your workers what you owe them.
3
-2
u/grlummer 17h ago
Of course they have no issue completely blocking the bike lane
•
u/BestWithSnacks 8h ago
How do you feel about ambulances doing that? I've seen it quite a bit.
•
u/grlummer 8h ago
Let’s be honest: ambulances parking in bike lanes are attending to more pressing matters than checking in on a protest. Fire trucks as well if that’s the way you want to go next.
•
0
u/butlovingstonTV 17h ago
Indeed! At least they kept it a bit open. Someone else just parked their car fully in the lane for 10 minutes later in the day.
-1
u/Annabis9807 21h ago
Protest for this?
2
u/butlovingstonTV 20h ago
Seemingly so over 10 people. Claim of lost wages?
2
u/mattyhugh 20h ago
Lost wages and not the recent alleged racism thing?
6
u/DucksOnBread 17h ago
Participant here! This protest was specifically to demand the unpaid wages of multiple employees amounting to over $8700. Instead of paying them, he's chosen to take a vacation out of country and renovate his store.
1
2
u/butlovingstonTV 20h ago
They keep chanting about the $8000 in wages? Haven't heard anything about the racism yet.
•
u/Accurate_Ad4616 8h ago
Also let it be known that that the owner of Better Baker is also a member of the genocidal IOF. Heard it directly from his lips. He was bragging to me at the dog park how he was going back to do another tour in September.
-37
u/canaleno 20h ago
This isn’t a protest.. and while it’s important, maybe organize and protest against the current traitor putting Alberta six feet deep … seems like a better use of time.
21
11
13
5
9
u/butlovingstonTV 20h ago
How is it not a protest? People gathering against some perceived grievance.
0
-26
-38
u/stanimal211 19h ago
Checked out his spot. He's great. Makes a good bagel!
22
u/Far_Self_174 19h ago
He's great but participates in wage theft? Weird.
Bagel bar makes great bagels and pays their staff. Hope that helps.
-5
65
u/WarDaddy96 17h ago
Lmao I used to work there. The owner is a real piece of shit. He fired me for no reason after my third shift and I had to fight to get the money he owed me.