No solution in sight for N.S. workers owed thousands of dollars by former employer

Andrew Lam · CBC News

· Posted: May 16, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Two Halifax-area workers inactive haven't seen the thousands of dollars successful unpaid wages and different wage they're owed by their erstwhile employer, contempt rulings successful their favour from the provincial assemblage that handles these issues.

In June 2024, Akira Arruda and Teri Boates filed complaints with the province's Labour Standards Division against Halifax-based marketing institution Arbuckle Media, claiming they were owed assorted forms of pay.

But aft the institution stopped operating and after months of waiting for a decision, it present seems improbable the wealth volition scope the workers, who were laid off.

"My spot successful the strategy has wholly failed me," Arruda said. The wealth could person helped wage the bills, especially considering the precocious cost of living now, she said.

According to determination documents obtained by CBC News, the Labour Standards Division recovered successful some cases that Arbuckle Media had violated the Labour Standards Code.

And connected April 11, the part ordered the institution to wage much than $10,000 owed to Arruda successful unpaid wages and wage successful lieu of notice. Arbuckle Media was besides ordered to wage much than $6,000 owed to Boates successful unpaid wages, abrogation wage and wage successful lieu of notice.

But connected May 2, a labour standards serviceman emailed some workers, saying the part was closing the cases, deeming them "uncollectible," according to emails provided by Arruda and Boates.

"We are precise tired," said Boates, who suffered a changeable successful 2023. After being laid disconnected by the institution successful July 2024, she said not having wellness security oregon the wealth she was owed made it harder to wage for things similar medications during her recovery.

"It feels similar we shouldn't person to enactment this hard for thing that has been deemed owed."

In the emails, the labour standards serviceman said their bureau had sent a "demand" to TD Bank.

"Unfortunately, astatine that time, TD confirmed that portion they had an relationship for Arbuckle Media, determination were nary funds disposable successful the account," the serviceman wrote.

The serviceman went connected to accidental they contacted different fiscal institution, Wealthsimple, and received the aforesaid response. 

"These demands spot a clasp connected the relationship for immoderate clip but yet bash expire," the serviceman explained. "If funds are deposited into either relationship portion the clasp is active, the funds volition beryllium sent to our office."

The emails besides accidental that Arbuckle Media did not entreaty the decisions to the Labour Board.

Arruda called the much than $10,000 owed to her a life-changing magnitude of money.

"I went done the stages of grief with the wealth that I was owed and I've accepted that I'm ne'er going to get it," she said.

Despite that acceptance, Arruda said she's troubled by what she's learned astir however small extortion determination is for her.

"I … see it a implicit nonaccomplishment of the strategy to person dealt with it for 9 months and for thing to travel of it." 

Evidence successful some cases was provided by the workers. The determination documents item however the president of the company, Joel Arbuckle, acknowledged the institution was nary longer operating, but that helium "has not responded to communications from the Labour Standards Division" for further information.

In an emailed statement, Arbuckle said that Arbuckle Media ceased operations aft unsustainable fiscal losses.

"Like galore tiny businesses, we did our champion to navigate hard conditions, but yet could not conscionable each obligations earlier closing."

Arbuckle said the institution is "functionally insolvent" and has nary assets to fulfill the Labour Standards Division order. He said helium has made efforts to enactment erstwhile employees successful "transitioning to caller roles."

The enforcement manager of the Halifax Workers' Action Centre said these cases are emblematic of a larger issue.

"Our existent Labour Standards Division has precise anemic enforcement policies and not a batch of mechanisms successful bid to get justness erstwhile the leader doesn't privation to play ball," said Sydnee Blum.

Blum said Nova Scotia should instrumentality measures similar those successful British Columbia, wherever employers who interruption labour standards and are ordered to wage wages indispensable wage fines that summation for consequent violations wrong 3 years of each contravention. 

CBC News has reached retired to Nova Scotia's Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration for comment.

In Nova Scotia, Blum said, "Even erstwhile workers instrumentality the prescribed steps by legislation, they travel each of the things that they're expected to … they're inactive not capable to entree justice."