A hotel chain in Manitoba has been ordered to compensate three foreign workers with over $100,000 after the province’s labour board dismissed the company’s appeal. The Manitoba Labour Board found Western Star Inn & Suites guilty of lacking credible witnesses and failing to provide supporting documents for allegations against the employees at its Melita location. The decision, issued on Tuesday, followed a seven-day hearing during which the board heard troubling testimonies regarding the workers’ working conditions, including long hours, stressful environments, and inadequate training and staffing.

CBC News had previously reported that some migrant workers at the hotel chain in Saskatchewan worked up to 12 hours a day, seven days a week. One of the workers involved, Victor Padilla Ruiz from Mexico, claimed that the hotel exploited him by failing to fulfill promises of legal status assistance in Canada.

The labour board highlighted discrepancies in witness testimonies provided by Western Star, indicating contradictions and unreliable statements. It also criticized the payroll manager’s testimony, describing it as illogical and inconsistent with a well-managed operation.

The workers’ compensations were determined based on calculations from an employment standards officer’s investigation, with minor adjustments. Padilla Ruiz was awarded over $86,500, while Montserrat Del Toro and Rajbinder Gill Mathias were set to receive approximately $23,100 and $28,300, respectively.

Del Toro, a Mexican national employed irregularly at Western Star, was paid below the minimum wage and sometimes in cash. The board noted that some of the wages claimed by Del Toro for work in Saskatchewan were beyond its jurisdiction, awaiting resolution in that province.

Ineligible to hire temporary foreign workers due to outstanding penalties, Western Star faced fines and regulatory restrictions from the federal program. The company was penalized for non-compliance with employment regulations and for failing to demonstrate job consistency as per government guidelines.

The case sheds light on ongoing challenges faced by foreign workers and calls for stricter enforcement of labor laws to protect vulnerable employees.