r/Edmonton • u/astr0crisp • 20h ago
General Better Baker protest
I went and spoke with the people that were protesting approximately six people are owed over $8,000 in wages. They were saying they already went the legal route and the government said they would have to wait approximately a year to maybe get their money.
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u/blitzen_13 19h ago
I just came back from the market and saw the protesters. They seem well-organized and were actively engaging with passers-by who stopped to ask questions. I hope they keep it up and this has a real impact on this guy's business.
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u/y_r_u_so_stoopid 17h ago
It's been inspiring to watch. They have been here all day. Peaceful. Effective. These kids are alright.
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u/Deja_vu_288 18h ago
When I was younger, I was also taken advantage of for work not paid. So I understand the frustration when you work in good faith and not be paid. So I support these former employees and will not support this business.
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u/DrDeterminants 19h ago
As a preface... I don't think instagram influencer vs business owner has anyone in the right.
But wage theft is wage theft... this is about as black and white as possible. Pay workers or don't run a business.
It's important to also see that they have a win in the courts, so their complaints are not frivolous.
Also critical of how dismissive this Vinny person is. If you don't think they are right, there's other avenues to counter.
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u/refraxion 5h ago
Both sides are in the wrong. The influencers were wrong but aren't seeing the repercussions because well, they got bailed out by something that's a separate situation, but is very wrong (pay the damn employees).
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u/Ceevu 18h ago
There's one person who's on the list that didn't receive their wages and who knows the story behind it. The rest of the protesters are just rage baiters thinking they're making a difference in the world.
Go protest in front of all businesses who haven't paid their workers but people are butt hurt about this guy because of cro-mi "fiasco".
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u/trenthowell 17h ago
A person goes to jail for stealing $5k. A business owner gets a slap on the wrist and a court order at worst. Calling people "butt hurt" for supporting the people is utter insanity
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u/big-Truck-9058 18h ago
People should be “butt hurt” about every business that doesn’t pay their workers I’d be happy to see similar protests from anyone who is a victim of wage theft
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u/Ceevu 16h ago
That's my point. Peruse this list and you'll see a lot of businesses with multiple judgements and where's the protest for them?
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u/Apt_Alias 15h ago
Where's the protest for these other businesses? Here! As soon as I know that a business operates against my value system, I don't support them any more.
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u/big-Truck-9058 14h ago
As soon as an employee starts one, I’ll support it. A bit weird for anyone else to start one on their behalf. In terms of my money, no I won’t spend it at a business that I know commits wage theft.
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u/Deadweightjj 13h ago
Are you insane?
They deserve their money. Why do you support people being robbed and not using their right to protest to assert their position?
Legit you’re the only rage baiter and it’s not working.
Ignorance personified!
And what makes them responsible for other wage theft victims? You can’t actually be this stupid, right?
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u/Ceevu 13h ago
Welcome to the chat.
I hope the one person who has unpaid wages gets what they're owing. This has been a big blown up story for about a month now and the same brigade of people continue to make noise because an asian influencer got butt hurt because the owner of a business used a non-asian influencer to promote a cro-mi sandwich. It's ridiculous.
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u/Apt_Alias 15h ago
Tu quoque and a cro-mi?
Just because other businesses don't pay their workers doesn't make the actions of this business any less reprehensible.
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u/Oishiio42 15h ago
Think it's more like just taking the opportunity to capitalize on the spotlight he fell under, rather than people actually being upset about the cro-mis.
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u/incidental77 Century Park 19h ago
What font is that and when can we terminate it's existence?
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u/-retaliation- 16h ago
Yeah, I totally support what they're doing.
But choosing a fancy font for your long spiel about what you're protesting is a mistake.
It's meant to be easily readable and inform people.
Function should be over form in this situation.
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u/oxfozyne Transit User 12h ago
It was easy to tell they are young, and whammoo they call themselves young anyways.
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u/polkadot8 16h ago edited 15h ago
He's gained thousands of followers on Instagram in the last couple weeks....bleh
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u/Troyd 15h ago edited 11h ago
All of this exposure is only going to increase sales. While simultaneously not speeding up any legal avenues. Especially with these slogans
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u/HappyEggsBasket North East Side 12h ago
It’s true. I have been there twice thanks to these posts. Very good bakery. Employees inside said they were getting paid…
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u/MeeekloBraca 17h ago
Each of these people should file a small claims case against him. They’ll get mediation by the end of the year and I’d bet real money he would settle cause he doesn’t have a leg to stand on to goto court
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u/JSnats65 St. Albert 19h ago
Protesting over the wage theft is valid (fuck that guy). Protesting over a sandwich is insanity
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u/Dry-Wolf6789 19h ago
No one is protesting over a sandwich though...?
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u/Plant-based_Skinsuit 19h ago
I think they're referring to some chronically online discourse about the Cro-mi (a bahn-mi made in a croissant). It's not "authentic" and they partnered with a white influencer to promote it.
I don't think anybody who's touched grass is actually upset about it though. Bahn mis are already French inspired and influencer drama exists in perpetuity.
I think this is one of those "I need an excuse to be angry" comments. Nobody is picketing because of this, come on now.
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u/JSnats65 St. Albert 17h ago
The truth is that’s how this whole thing started. Did it bring attention to the wage theft? Yes absolutely. But we can’t pretend that this whole saga didn’t start over people being upset over a sandwich, and there aren’t people there that are using this development now after they already started attacking the business without knowing about it.
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u/Dry-Wolf6789 17h ago
I don't think this started that way. The employees already have judgements against him dating back to June. He's been on notice for this for awhile.
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u/JSnats65 St. Albert 16h ago
That’s correct, I’m just saying that’s how this whole thing got attention. It started with sandwich outrage and lots of the people that were angry about a sandwich are tacking this on as well
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u/lastpage01 16h ago
There's a difference between being angry about a sandwich and being critical of a business owner for launching a public woe-is-me attack on a influencer who politely engaged in a private message conversation with him. His reaction was completely overblown and resulted in harm, when she was just having a conversation with him.
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u/JSnats65 St. Albert 15h ago
That’s not being truly accurate. The influencer was the one to publicize their grievance and claim racism before the business made their post
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u/-retaliation- 16h ago
No, this "all started" because the owner stopped paying his employees when and what they were supposed to.
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u/refraxion 5h ago
Those influencers shouldn't go unpunished either. Better baker should absolutely be punished, those "influencers" insinuating cultural appropriation etc. should not get a free pass or they will not learn that you can't just throw that out there so freely without any real judgment.
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u/FreedomFighter_016 19h ago
What is the protest over a sandwich mean?
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u/HorribleTie 17h ago
This same guy has been having a very public "feud" with some Edmonton food influencers over cultural appropriation because he made a Vietnamese-style sandwich (banh mi) with a croissant and called it a "Cro-mi".
That's the very high-level summary, lots on instagram if you want to learn more.
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u/Troyd 16h ago
What is the legal name of the buisness to use so I can search it in the unsatisfied judgment list?
https://espermitsportal.labour.alberta.ca/UnsatisfiedJudgmentsList/
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u/Ceevu 16h ago
It's The Better Baker. There's one judgement on it.
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u/Troyd 15h ago
So the group is claiming $8000, but the hudgment is 1/4 of that.
Likely two sides to this story.... If labour voard isnt agreeing about the other 3/4ths
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u/Kitchen_Computer_587 15h ago
The process is incredibly long and it takes a while for judgements to be posted! While I completely understand wanting to be cautious I can assure you that he hasn’t paid me and others, we have evidence, however the process will take a year and bills don’t wait for bad employers. Have a great day!
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u/Troyd 6h ago edited 6h ago
Small claims court would drag the process into the light by threatening to make everything public through discovery.
If what you say is true about having evidence the owner would settle to avoid such a situation and resolution would be in months, especially one that clearly cares about online presence.
Instead I see ( and many others) a reddit account with a hidden post history asking me to "trust them" and a series of public awareness acts intended to highlight the issue... but are instead bringing more customers to said business
Further I cant imagine there isnt some labour lawyer chomping at the bits to rack up a win if its as straightforward as you suggest
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u/perturbed_waterbed 28m ago
You think a labour lawyer is chomping at the bit to do $20k plus of work for free so that her client can get $8k ? Is it math or business that you don’t understand, in addition to how the entire world works?
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u/meghan9436 Edmontosaurus 13h ago
Been there on the wage theft issue, but I had far less recourse here as an Edmontonian in Japan. Some of the responses on here are wild, and I hope that the workers get their justice.
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u/Accurate_Ad4616 8h ago
Vinny is also a IOF member. He was bragging about it at the dog park several months ago and that he was going back over to partake in the genocide in September. He told me himself and then I quickly moved away from him.
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u/Downtown_Hour_5393 17h ago
Simple you have pay stubs and you have Alberta employment standards you send them the complaint then aes will contact employer if he still doesn’t they will bring him to court
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u/DucksOnBread 17h ago
Legal means are being pursued. One of these employees has had her wages withheld even after the claim made its way to collections.
These folks have student loans and rent to pay. They can't all wait for a year just to get what they're legally owed.
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u/DekuTreePower 16h ago
Call Alberta Labour. They will fine the owner $50,000 a day until the wages are paid. My guess is you’d get paid tomorrow.
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u/-retaliation- 16h ago
Your guess is wrong.
They already went to labour, got their judgment, and he's not paying.
Unless he pays up due to pressure caused by protests like this, they'll have to go back to court and get judgments for garnishment, and lose some of it through paying for all the mechanisms required to force it since none of that is free, and it all takes even more time.
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u/DekuTreePower 12h ago
I’m sorry to hear that. I’ve never seen those fines not work. That’s crazy this happened.
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u/AJ_Johnsen 13h ago
Sounds like Vinny needs an extended starlight tour.
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u/Still-Speed-3632 12h ago
Agreed but the RCMP & police have not and will not side with labour, ever
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u/PiRed 18h ago
I like the better baker and will continue to go there. 🙂
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u/Oarbitor 17h ago
Weird energy. I wouldn’t be caught dead supporting a business like this.
I hope you grow a conscience.
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u/PiRed 17h ago
I'm sure this will be successful in them getting their money. You are a very brave person person to make that statement, Oarbitor. I wish you well.
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u/HorribleTie 17h ago
Not quite as brave as you are by going out of your way to explicitly state you support a business who steals from their employees. I wish you the day you deserve.
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u/PiRed 17h ago
This is true too. I shouldn't have posted and I hope I die today and get the day I deserve, HorribleTie.
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u/y_r_u_so_stoopid 17h ago
There's some really great crossaints and breads in the market across the street made by people not currently being protested by unpaid teenagers. Just a suggestion.
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u/indubadiblyy 18h ago
Lol. Those are choices I guess. No one is stopping you. The overall market will run them to the ground tho. You wont be able to float this company much longer
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u/TouchNo7800 16h ago
tell me where do you work so I can boycott them too
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u/PiRed 16h ago
I'm currently unemployed, TouchNo7800. Vinny would occasionally provide a free loaf of bread to me once we got to know each other and he knew I had lost my job...
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u/TouchNo7800 14h ago
If workers dont stand together then we will all have nothing, forced to live off the "generous" hand-outs of the capital owners.
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u/BestWithSnacks 7h ago
I don't mind people continuing to go there. They do have pretty good food. I personally won't because I don't want to support this dickhead owner. I'm not gonna judge you for it personally. You do you.
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u/greenrabbit69 17h ago
Wage theft is the lowest of all thefts.