Laid-off Oshawa IQT workers take aim at Ottawa

The lack of protection for workers following a company failure is a real problem. Here, because the company just shut its door and filed no papers, the workers are having trouble getting EI (which they paid for and are entitled to), they can't pursue remedies available for workers of bankrupt companies and they are out of work and unpaid.

In theory the workers could petition IQT into bankruptcy but that would be costly and time consuming -- and the workers have neither money nor time.

Bankruptcy reform to protect workers' unpaid wages, pensions and benefits where a company fails is needed -- and in fact during the election all four major Federal Parties in Oshawa agreed -- so since we all agreed, let's see some reform!

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1029822--laid-off-iqt-workers-take-aim-at-ottawa?bn=1

Bob Brigaitis and his wife, Cindy Rupert, considered themselves an IQT family.

As operation managers, they spent ungodly hours at the job, working weekends and evenings to file reports. Their kids, Cameron, 9, and Kennedy, 11, grew up listening to conference calls on the drive to school. They visited the Oshawa call centre on hot summer days to hand out Popsicles to employees. And they affectionately referred to the staff as “mommy’s secret agents.”

But it all came to a halt when Brigaitis and Rupert were abruptly laid off on July 15 along with 1,200 workers in Ontario and Quebec without notice, wages or severance pay.

A week later, the anger toward IQT co-founders David and Alex Mortman is being redirected to the Canadian government for what employees say is a system ill-equipped to handle the needs of the suddenly unemployed.

“We have a month (of savings) to keep us afloat and then we’re done. We’ll lose our house and our cars,” said Rupert, fighting back tears. “My kids are asking me for two dollars to go to the store but I don’t even know where my next two dollars is coming from.”

Under federal law, workers can claim up to $3,400 in unpaid wages, severance and vacation pay under the wage earner protection program (WEPP). The only catch is the company must file bankruptcy, something that IQT Solutions has not done.