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Whitehorse Community Thrift Store volunteers stop work following store manager's termination by its board of directors.

Friday, 8 November 2024 15:18

By Stuart Bonell @BonellStuart

The Whitehorse Community Thrift Store is closed until volunteers' concerns are addressed by the board of directors. (Photo: S. Bonell)

Thrift store society founder Karen Weinberg says the manager was fired for raising safety concerns.

Volunteers with the Whitehorse Community Thrift Store have stopped working following actions from its board of directors.

According to a media release on Thursday, over 30 volunteers cited unacceptable behaviour from the board, including the termination of the store manager last week.

Karen Weinberg was a founding member of the Whitehorse Community Thrift Store Society seven years ago. Speaking with CHON-FM, she said that the store manager was fired for raising safety concerns about a proposed construction project that would change the layout of the downtown thrift store.

“Because the cashiers and things; they felt [that] they needed to see people coming in, and they needed to be seen from where the sorting room is in the back,” said Weinberg. “They need to be in the line of sight of other volunteers and staff. And that’s a pretty simple ask.”

The volunteers stopped working earlier this week, and according to the media release, have no intention of returning to their roles until the board addresses four key issues.

“The Board restructures to be a policy governance board, not an operations board,” said Weinberg. “That the store manager is reinstated. That any of the in-store construction plans are halted until the time that there can be a proper strategic planning session that involves the membership and volunteers.”

Weinberg said that while there is no timeline for these changes, she hopes that the issues will be resolved and the store reopened soon.

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