Inside one man’s fight against anti-maskers at his grocery stores
Last year, the owner of a Toronto-based grocer says the staff's biggest concern was dealing with customers panic buying and empty store shelves. He didn't expect as the COVID-19 pandemic dragged on he'd have to deal with his staff being filmed and being sued by people who didn't want to wear masks.
He says that at the beginning of the pandemic his stores were able to accommodate customers with medical conditions but after the summer, more and more came in claiming that they couldn't wear a mask. The staff became worried so the stores instituted a mandatory mask policy before the province made it a rule last fall.
In the beginning, I got some advice from a customer who says it'll be helpful to say the staff is scared, why can't you just wear a mask to appease them? They're on the front lines and trying to get food to the people who come in," said the owner of the store, who the Star has granted anonymity because he is worried that people would return to his stores and harass its workers.
It didn't work. There's no scenario they'll accept except not wearing a mask. We co-ordinated with our online delivery service to get them free delivery vouchers, but it didn't matter. There was no solution that would satisfy them."
Late last year, a customer uploaded a video of himself not wearing a mask entering one of the grocer's stores, claiming the store's mask policy is discriminatory and threatening to sue. He filmed the staff as they asked him to leave, resulting in the staff being harassed on their personal social media accounts.
Videos have been circulating online throughout the pandemic of people entering various businesses across the GTA (and beyond), from small shops to large grocery chains, and refusing to wear a mask.
We lost the assistant grocery store manager because they didn't sign up for this. You look at the comments people were posting and it's awful, being called morons and being threatened," he said. If they want to call me out as the owner, sure, but for these managers, some of whom are in their 20s, they don't want to see their name posted on the internet and people asking for their last names and being found outside of work."
The grocery store owner said there are about two to three incidents involving people who don't want to wear masks every week across his stores and sometimes the police have to be called.
He said there are currently two cases filed against his business in small claims court and one being reviewed by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.
He believes the plaintiffs don't have a case because the store followed public health guidelines and offered customers alternatives to face masks, such as a face shield and the option to have their groceries delivered.
We're defending all three cases. There will be no settling or cheque cut to these people," he said, adding that no one in his staff has been infected with the virus so far, in part due to the store's COVID-19 policies. I keep reminding our staff that we're in the right, 100 per cent and I'll defend each of them."
Current Toronto Public Health bylaws state that businesses are required to have a policy that instructs customers and staff inside to wear a mask or face covering, and be accommodating to those who cannot wear a mask, such as offering curbside pickup or delivery.
Law experts say since it is proven that masks help stop the spread of COVID-19, it's in the public's interest to continue wearing them, and that filing a case against a store's mask policy will not likely hold up in court.
A spokesperson from UFCW Canada Local 1006A, a union representing 25,000 grocery workers in Ontario, emailed the Star a statement saying:
A majority of customers are wearing masks and following the rules and we appreciate their efforts in following public health guidelines. However, we are deeply concerned about a small number of customers who refuse to properly wear masks, disregard public health guidelines and put workers, their families and the whole community at risk. We continue to press employers and managers to ensure all customers are following the COVID-19 safety protocols to keep our customers safe."
Emily Duncan, a researcher at the University of Guelph, recently spoke with the Star after she interviewed 30 grocery store workers on working conditions last summer. Her report, which she is in the process of compiling, found that there was an increase of harassment from customers, including being spit on and having objects thrown at them.
The grocer says he would like more people to speak out whenever they witness incidents of harassment and abuse against grocery store workers.
I hope people understand and are empathetic with the workers who are scared for their safety and showing up for work," he said. Can you make their life easier by just complying with the rules? Too many people just think about themselves. That's not how things work. And for the people who comply, thank you for understanding."
Karon Liu is a Toronto-based food reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter: @karonliu