TORONTO, Ont. – Toronto’s Economic Development Committee has voted 3-2 in favour of a motion to allow Toronto retailers to open on Victoria Day,  while rejecting staff recommendation to keep stores open on Canada Day, Labour Day and Thanksgiving.

The Committee heard from dozens of people, including union officials who said stat holidays are retail workers’ only guaranteed day off. They felt this could result in retail workers being bullied into taking time away from their families to work.

“Here we are, again, facing another attack on workers’ rights with this regressive proposal,” said one official. “I think it’s shameful.”

“It’s not about stat holiday shopping. It’s about stat holiday work.”

Meanwhile, teen retailer worker Phillipe Lavois, 18, is concerned holiday openings will allow retailers to squeeze even more time out of him and other teen workers.  

“I think this is about big box retailers looking to make more money on our backs,” he said.

Another retail worker shared Lavois’ sentiments, adding that it’s “very difficult for workers to say no when an employer asks them to work on a holiday.”

However, the Scarborough Town Centre’s Cathy Myers said the Economic Development Committee only has one responsibility, which is “to make the city as economically competitive as possible.”

“This is not a family values issue for you to resolve here,” she added. “As much as I respect the importance of family time and values, that is not what the issue is about. This is an economic decision.”

Officials with Yorkdale Mall said they lose up to 110,000 shoppers on stat holidays, who end up going to open malls such as Square One in Mississauga or Vaughan Mills.

“A typical shopping trip usually entails probably close to $100 to $110, so if you multiply that, very simply, that’s the amount of money that’s leaving the city of Toronto and going to the 905 area,” Yorkdale’s Anthony Casalanguida told the Committee, estimating the suburbian malls likely split a $12-million profit, coming from Toronto shoppers.

Currently, only stores in tourist-designated areas, and of a certain type and size, are allowed to open on stat holidays.

City council has their final say on Victoria Day shopping on November 27.