Three African-American employees have filed a federal complaint against Dearborn-based Tim Hortons, alleging the management used racial slurs and illegally paid them less than minimum wage.
Detroit law firm Ayad Law, PLLC says the federal complaint was filed Tuesday with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission to address the alleged racial discrimination, "including the use of racial epithets in the firing of three Black employees."
It is alleged that for years,
- Sharneisha Martin, a Tim Hortons new employee trainer
- John Munningham, a Tim Hortons supervisor
- Francis Martin, a Tim Hortons head baker
... were publicly discriminated against not only by management but by other employees of various Tim Hortons in Dearborn.
According to the law firm, management and employees called 20-year-old supervisor John Munningham a "boy," told him to use his "n**** strength" to do manual tasks and referred to Black restaurant workers as "animals."
The now former employees also allege they were "paid less than lower-ranking, non-black employees, forced to do the work of the non-black employees without compensation and had racial slurs used against them."
They were told by management that 'Tim Hortons does not need to comply with minimum wage laws' when they asked why their pay did not increase with Michigan's minimum wage.
All three people have been with Tim Hortons for about 30 years, worked at several locations yet were all fired within weeks of each other, officials say.
Ayad Law is preparing to file a lawsuit against Tim Hortons for the alleged discrimination against the employees.
Tim Hortons issued the following statement in response to requests for comment:
Harassment of any kind is unacceptable and everyone has the right to live and work in environments free from harassment.
