A&W controversies
Controversies tied to this brand in public sources. A listing is not a finding of fault.
Back to profile2 entries
2021
A&W restaurant faces allegations over teen worker’s pay and working conditions
Issue disclosure
A report described allegations by a teenager and her mother that the teen received no paycheck, that her tips were pooled, and that she worked 12- and 13-hour days and was left alone at an A&W restaurant in Taylor, Michigan. An attorney said he was in the process of filing a lawsuit against the restaurant; the article does not establish that a lawsuit had been filed.
Source excerpt
Rushin said her daughter worked 12- and 13-hour days and was even left in the store alone.
The teen said she never received a paycheck, only taking home whatever patrons left in the tip jar.
Attorney Todd Perkins said he is in the process of filing a lawsuit against the restaurant.
2019
Recorded comments about unionization response
Senior A&W personnel speaking at a LabourWatch conference were reported to have discussed a watch list for franchise locations considered at risk of unionization and a rapid-response process for potential organizing activity. The remarks prompted criticism from labor advocates and some Canadian politicians.