By Rebbeca Marroquin

Longtime customers disagree with Sears’ treatment of employees

Aug 8, 2017 | 1:37 PM

Many Prince Albert shoppers are attending Sears liquidation sales with mixed emotion. While some are hoping to cash in on huge savings, others are hesitant to support a business they feel is leaving long time employees in a lurch.

The company, which is operating under court protection from creditors, began liquidation sales last month at 59 department and Sears Home stores slated for closure, including the Prince Albert location. The company said it will pay $9.2 million in retention bonuses to key staff as part of the restructuring process, but approximately 2,900 jobs will be cut without severance. 

Longtime customer, Howie Demerais said he doesn’t agree with the company’s decisions.

“[Employees] shouldn’t be left without nothing. That’s for sure,” he said.

Customer Rob Polowski said the lack of severance is unfair.

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“You put that much time into a position, there should be some kind of pay back,” he said.

In an email to paNOW, Sears Canada said there are currently 49 associates working in the Prince Albert store, most of which are part-time. When asked why it was not paying its employees severance, a company spokesperson said, “constraints at the Sears Canada Group have resulted in challenges for a number of valued stakeholders, including associates whose positions will be eliminated when we exit the store.”

Since the announcement, the hashtag #BoycottSearsCanada started trending on Twitter and the company closed public comments on its Facebook page. 

The first Sears store in Prince Albert was opened in 1954, and was later replaced in 1985 by the current location at the Gateway Mall. The company has until Oct. 12 to vacate premises slated for closure.

rebbeca.marroquin@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @becamarroquin