Hudson's Bay backtracks on cutting workers' commission pay, but still won't offer severance
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Hudson's Bay Co. has backtracked on its decision last month to cut commission pay earned by hundreds of cosmeticians and fragrance advisers during liquidation sales, CBC News has learned.
The retailer's sudden change of heart follows a grievance filed by its union, Unifor, which represents dozens of the workers, and CBC News coverage.
CBC reported two weeks ago that several cosmeticians and fragrance advisers (also knows as beauty advisers) said they were distraught over the loss of commission pay, as it would significantly reduce their take-home pay.
"It wasn't a good look for them to treat employees that way," said a beauty adviser in B.C., in response to Hudson's Bay backtracking.
"I'm just so grateful that I'm getting the commission back," said the person, adding that it provides at least an extra $10 an hour on top of base pay — which is just above minimum wage.
"We're ecstatic that we're going to be able to pay bills now."
CBC News is withholding the worker's name due to fear of repercussions from the retailer for speaking with the media.
In March, cash-strapped Hudson's Bay was granted creditor protection as it considered bids for segments of the company. The iconic retailer's more than 9,300 employees are expected to lose their jobs by June 15 — the closing date for all 96 Bay and Saks-branded stores.
Beauty advisers earn commission on products sold, on top of a base salary. On April 8, Hudson's Bay gave these workers 12 days' notice that the company would start paying them base pay only, according to a company-issued letter seen by CBC News.
It was another in a series of blows to Hudson's Bay workers, who learned last month the retailer won't pay severance to laid-off employees.
In a grievance filed against Hudson's Bay, Unifor argued the commission cut violated its members' collective agreement.
"You can't just, midstream, [reduce] someone's pay," said Dwayne Gunness, president of Unifor Local 40, which represents 40 beauty advisers.
WATCH | Hudson's Bay pays big bonuses to executives but no severance for workers:
Hudson's Bay to pay $3M in bonuses, but no severance for workers
1 month ago
Duration 2:04
Hudson's Bay workers are speaking out after learning they will receive no severance pay as the company confirms it will pay out $3 million in bonuses to executives and managers handling the liquidation of most stores.
Two weeks later, the company reversed course and said commission pay would remain with no interruptions, according to Unifor and a Hudson's Bay note sent to beauty advisers that CBC News has seen. The note did not state a reason for the decision.
The retailer did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Hudson's Bay starts laying off workers
Gunness says that last Friday, Hudson's Bay laid off 157 workers at its online distribution centre in Toronto.
It marks the first round of non-corporate layoffs. The company terminated around 200 corporate employees on April 4, according to court documents.
Although Hudson's Bay has reinstated commission pay, it won't be paying any workers severance once they're laid off.
"I'm having a really hard time accepting the fact that we don't get severance," said Hazel Harris (no relation to this reporter), one of the 157 laid-off distribution centre workers. "It's very heartbreaking what's going on."
Harris, 60, has worked for Hudson's Bay for more than seven years. She says severance pay would have provided a much-needed safety net.
"I'm scared because with the trade war looming like an umbrella over us, we don't know how many jobs there will be out there," she said. "When you join the older community, it's even more difficult to find a job, so it's going to be a tough road ahead."
Unifor, which represents a total of 595 Hudson's Bay employees, says some members are entitled to upwards of $35,000 in severance pay.
Gunness says once all the 595 workers are laid off, Unifor will file a grievance over the issue, as severance is also included in the workers' contract.
"We have a collective agreement which is legally binding," he said.
applying for financial assistance through a federal government program for workers laid off by insolvent companies.
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Montreal Gazette
8 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
‘A trophy asset': Developers are lining up to buy iconic downtown Bay building
Developers have already started bidding to purchase Montreal's iconic Hudson's Bay building on Ste-Catherine St. The new vocation for the 134-year-old building that helped launch Montreal's modern downtown core has yet to be determined, however. A little more than a month after it was announced the flagship store would be liquidated, one of 80 Hudson's Bay stores nationwide to be shut and sold because of faltering sales, interested buyers have put in bids, said Glenn Castanheira, director of the Montréal centre ville business development corporation. Who the bidders are and what their plans are for the building won't be known for another month or two, Castanheira said. Montréal centre-ville has been in regular contact with Hudson's Bay officials to discuss how to keep the site from becoming an urban eyesore until a new development project begins. 'We're happy, but we're not surprised there are multiple offers on the table, given how much of a trophy asset this building is,' Castanheira said. Located downtown across from the recently renovated Phillips Square, and with the reconstruction of Ste-Catherine St. in that sector completed, the area sees 90,000 people walking by on a good day. With its direct access to the métro system and proximity to a future REM light-rail station that will take passengers to Trudeau airport in 20 minutes, the building could be redeveloped in numerous ways, Castanheira said. Possibilities include a multi-storey residential development, a hotel or a mixed-use project with commercial spaces on the bottom floors and a condo tower or office buildings on top. 'On the ground floor you could imagine a mixed retail experience, with something like (gourmet Italian grocery store) Eataly,' he suggested. Or a hotel, with a lobby on the street level along with restaurants and specialized services like a spa and beauty salon. Brent Robinson, managing director for the Montreal branch of commercial real estate developer Cushman and Wakefield, also predicted The Bay building would be coveted. 'You're right on top of the métro, you're right on Ste-Catherine St. I'm not surprised to hear there's already some offers because the location alone is A class. I'm sure a lot of the major developers in the city are licking their chops over it.' Possible uses could include putting a large retailer on the lower floors, then residential or office space above. While vacancy rates for Class B and C office space is close to 20 per cent in Montreal's central core, according to Cushman and Wakefield's latest report, there is a lack of higher-quality Class A office space in downtown Montreal, Robinson said. There was a development proposal in 2021 to erect a 25-storey office tower on the north end of The Bay's building, which had the approval of city officials. Soaring vacancy rates caused by the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled that project. Lower interest rates and the levelling off of construction costs means 'the timing is better today for this project to hit the market than it would have been 18 months ago,' Robinson said. A challenge for any developer will be to maintain the heritage value of the distinctive red sandstone structure built in 1891. Two beaver pelts and one elk hide Major cities Canada-wide are grappling with how to repurpose their Bay stores. Winnipeg's six-storey Hudson's Bay closed in November 2020 after years of falling sales. Valued at $0 because of the predicted cost of renovations, The Bay handed over ownership in 2022 of the then 96-year-old building to an Indigenous organization in exchange for the symbolic payment of two beaver pelts and one elk hide. The Southern Chiefs Organization planned to spend $130 million to turn it into a mixed-use building that would include affordable housing for First Nations people, restaurants and a museum. The Ste-Catherine St. store is evaluated at $64,130,000, according to Montreal's property assessment roll. Hudson's Bay paid $2.2 million in taxes on the 564,000-square-foot property in 2024. British Columbia billionaire real estate developer Weihong (Ruby) Liu signed an agreement to purchase the leases for 28 Bay stores across Canada to create her own retail chain. She chose suburban sites that she said would be easier to redevelop than flagship stores. Converting the Montreal property could take as long as 10 years, Castanheira said. Local merchants are worried the building could fall into disrepair, becoming a magnet for graffiti, drug use, squatters or worse. Many of Montreal's vacant sites have been the victims of arson. They include the three-storey building next to the Super Sexe strip bar across the street from the Eaton Centre, which burnt down in 2021. The lot where it once stood is still a vacant hole on Ste-Catherine St. in the heart of the downtown core. 'Montreal has some very lax bylaws when it comes to managing vacant properties,' Castanheira said. His main worry is the property will be bought by a building speculator who lets it sit vacant for decades. Another concern is that Montreal, which has ultimate say over zoning laws, could take a long time to issue the necessary permits to allow redevelopment, said Concordia University economist Moshe Lander. 'Whether you're putting in residential space or commercial or industrial space, it's often the municipalities that become the impediment, saying we need to review,' Lander said. 'That's partly why Canada as a whole finds itself in a major housing crisis. And Montreal happens to be particularly bad.' Montréal centre-ville is in talks with the Hudson's Bay Company to maintain the facade and dress up the windows of the hulking edifice with images showing the history of the building. With other large downtown retail sites possibly facing the same fate as The Bay, Montreal needs to develop an urban plan to prepare for their departures, Lander said. 'The Bay is one of many changes that are going to happen over the next 10 to 20 years,' he said. 'Is there a plan in place? Is there a vision, or are we going to keep doing this in a piecemeal sort of way?' History of The Bay building Scottish-born retail magnate Henry Morgan made the risky decision to move his flourishing business from Victoria Square in lower Montreal to the mainly residential area on Ste-Catherine St. W. in 1891. Morgan was betting urban development would move further north and was proven right, with his store selling dry goods, dresses and fashion items paving the way for the development of Montreal's modern downtown core. Morgan spared little expense, importing high-quality red sandstone for the facade of the four-storey building. He hired Scottish architect John Pierce, who designed the department store in the grand Richardsonian Romanesque style, characterized by heavy stonework, rounded arches and deeply recessed openings. The building was considered to be 'the finest structure devoted to the retail business in North America,' historian Robert N. Wilkins wrote in The Gazette in 2014. The store, run by Morgan's family after his death in 1893, was prosperous. In 1923, it expanded northward with the construction of an eight-storey structure. There was a Steinberg's grocery store in the basement starting in 1952. In 1960, the Hudson's Bay Company bought Morgan's and enlarged the store again, moving it all the way to de Maisonneuve Blvd. by 1967. It was still known as Morgan's till 1972. The Hudson's Bay Company announced in April it would be liquidating all of its 80 stores across Canada.
a day ago
They fled their home countries to report from the safety of the U.S. Now, they fear they're in danger
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(Alex Panetta/CBC News) Photo: (Alex Panetta/CBC News) Hour Hum is one of them. He fled Cambodia in 2017 after some of his colleagues (new window) were arrested (new window) and RFA had to shutter its office (new window) . He went into hiding in Thailand. After seven years, he finally got a work visa and came to the U.S. with his wife. He likened it to reaching heaven after years in hell. Now, with a one-month-old to care for, he's clinging to his job as layoffs sweep across the newsroom. His wife is feeling anxious again as she did during those years in hiding, Hum said, fearing deportation. If they don't kill me, they'll put me in jail, he said of his prospects in Cambodia, where reporters are routinely arrested and international organizations say independent journalism is increasingly impossible (new window) to do. It's almost the same thing. 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(Alex Brandon/The Asssociated Press) Photo: (Alex Brandon/The Asssociated Press) In China, the government-affiliated Global Times (new window) called RFA and other U.S.-funded news operations a relic of Cold War ideological propaganda and welcomed its entry into the dustbin of history. The so-called beacon of freedom, it wrote, referring specifically to Voice of America, has now been discarded by its own government like a dirty rag. There was a celebratory Facebook post from Cambodia's longtime leader, Hun Sen, accused (new window) of rampant corruption (new window) and the killing (new window) and jailing of political opponents (new window) . He applauded Trump for leading the world in combating what Sun called the scourge of fake news (new window) . And as the U.S. pulls back on funding news, China and Russia are expanding (new window) their footprint (new window) , with state-run outlets like RT and CGTN opening dozens of stations and bureaus in Africa alone. 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Back then, the internet barely counted as mass media. Today, there are more smartphones in the world (new window) than people, allowing myriad ways to communicate. The U.S. no longer has the same power to set the terms of the global conversation as it did when it had 10 times (new window) China's GDP, unrivalled military dominance (new window) and a balanced budget (new window) , as opposed to exploding debt (new window) today, and a less-dominant (new window) military. Part of wider cuts to government-funded media The Trump administration itself has said virtually nothing about its rationale for eliminating Radio Free Asia, specifically. It has justified gutting government-funded media in general, from the agency (new window) that oversees Radio Free Asia, Voice of America and Radio Free Europe to NPR and PBS (new window) . He was elected in large part to reduce the federal bureaucracy, right? 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One Ipsos poll conducted (new window) for RFA in 2018 suggested as many as 44 million people a week may have accessed its content within China, about three per cent of its population. A Gallup survey commissioned by the service in 2023 found that almost three-quarters of Cambodians surveyed were aware of RFA, and 8.5 per cent saw its work on a weekly basis. When we were created, it was with the understanding that having an educated citizenry in these different countries supporting democratic values would actually lead to awareness that is beneficial to U.S. interests, Fang said. Reporters share their stories A few remaining reporters were working on stories last week in the near-vacant newsroom in downtown Washington. One involved a bullet-train project (new window) in Vietnam — with a look at (new window) a sole-source contract and questions about oversight (new window) . 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Some time after, he saw someone standing outside filming his home. Asked what would happen to his kids if he's deported, Tha said he hopes co-workers might care for them. His colleague Hum just became a dad last month. In the weeks before the birth, Hum had been worrying he'd lose his job and with it, his health coverage. When the baby arrived March 26, and Hum still had his job, he took it as a sign and named the baby Lucky. Khoa Lai of the Vietnamese service said he arrived in the U.S. months ago, hopeful that, here, he could write without fear, unlike in his home country, where he still uses a pseudonym for some reporting. I think it is a phase, he said of the recent moves against organizations like RFA. I think it will pass soon. At the end of the day, I think America is still a country of freedom. Alexander Panetta (new window) · CBC News
The Province
2 days ago
- The Province
Another delivery system disruption as DHL Express Canada locks out workers and union strikes
Unifor says 2,100 truck drivers, couriers and warehouse workers across seven provinces went on strike at 11 a.m. ET Sunday morning Published Jun 08, 2025 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 2 minute read A DHL delivery truck passes a company facility Oct. 20, 2020, in New York. Photo by Frank Franklin II / AP A strike and lockout that kicked off at DHL Canada Express on Sunday will barely tap the brakes on its parcel delivery service, the company says, as the union accuses it of deploying replacement workers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The carrier said it has rolled out a 'contingency plan' that allows it to keep serving its 50,000-plus customers, which range from retailer Lululemon to e-commerce giants Shein and Temu. 'With the implementation of these proactive measures, we are pleased to confirm that we can sustain our operations throughout our Canadian network, and we do not anticipate significant disruptions to our service,' DHL spokeswoman Pamela Duque Rai said Sunday in an email. Unifor, which represents more than 2,000 DHL truck drivers, couriers, warehouse and call centre employees, denounced any steps to supplant unionized workers with temporary ones. The move remains technically legal, said union president Lana Payne, as legislation banning replacement workers will not fully take effect until June 20. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'DHL sees this as a bit of a loophole and a time for them to put maximum pressure on our membership to concede,' she said in a phone interview. Unifor president Lana Payne. Photo by Postmedia Payne also warned of a chill setting in at the bargaining table. 'The relationship also worsens when you have an employer that thinks they can use replacement workers.' The company bused would-be temporary workers to a Hamilton, Ont., sorting facility for a tour last week and hinted in recent days it planned to take them on if a work stoppage unfolded, she claimed. The company did not immediately respond to questions about replacement hires. The work stoppage adds to the labour turmoil in the parcel market, as Canada Post remains at loggerheads with 55,000 workers amid an overtime ban imposed by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Unifor said its bargaining priorities remain wages, working conditions and surveillance and automation in the workplace. It also pointed to DHL's proposals to change the driver pay system it said could see some workers travelling up to 100 kilometres for pickups with no compensation, on top of rerouted pickups and reduced pay for 'owner-operators' — independent contractors represented by Unifor alongside full-time employees. DHL was 'disappointed' it could not reach a deal, said Duque Rai. Its proposal includes a 15 per cent wage hike over five years as well as new premiums for transportation of dangerous goods, according to DHL. 'The proposed terms relating to the review of our routes and a revised compensation model for owner operators is designed to address changes to the economic viability and operational structure of the Canadian market and would continue to ensure that drivers operating for DHL Express receive highly competitive compensation,' she said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The company poured cold water on the union's warning that the work stoppage could disrupt next weekend's Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, where DHL is responsible for transporting the turbocharged race cars. DHL's F-1 work is separate from its other operations in Canada, the company said. Read More Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Vancouver Canucks Sports Local News Sports News
