Media Statement: Nova Scotia Federation of Labour (NSFL) Criticizes Hudson’s Bay for Cutting Severance Pay Amid Executive Bonuses

The Hudson’s Bay Company’s decision to restrict severance pay for workers while awarding generous bonuses to top executives is a shameful action and we are opposed to this says Nova Scotia Federation of Labour (NSFL), president, Danny Cavanagh. This action is why our unions have been in the trenches fighting against insolvency matters that always seem to put workers at the back of the line.

Cavanagh is calling on elected officials to pass laws protecting workers in such cases because he says it was the front-line employees who built the empire. They deserve no less than anyone else and in fact workers must come first for any monies they are owed and rewards to managers should never be allowed to happen. He also believes that many view such business failures as caused by poor management at the top, not the workers who dedicated much of their lives to providing for the company.  

The Federation highlights that executive bonuses up to $3 million should not be on the table at all while severence pay to its workers will get cut. This is a slap in the face for workers and is a misguided priority and the public should be outraged. Staff who have dedicated years of service to Hudson’s Bay deserve dignity and respect in the form of their severance packages, instead they get to watch those at the top walk into the sunset with $3 million in executive bonuses.   

What is even more maddening is the action by Hudson’s Bay Company is not only eroding the commitment of its workers but also sends a jarring image of company priorities, when workers are already experiencing economic uncertainty. Awarding bonuses to executives and cutting money owed to workers sends a chilling message and is unfair to its workers. We need laws in this country that align with and protect workers’ interests and values and provide them with the respect they deserve as employees.

The NSFL is committed to advocating for workers’ rights, to ensure that all workers receive the justice they deserve. We also call upon the public and other organizations committed to our values to join us in protesting such unjust corporate actions and supporting efforts to safeguard workers’ rights.

Nova Scotia has two stores on the chopping block, one at the Mic Mac Mall in Dartmouth and the other at the Mayflower Mall in Sydney, and both are part of the company-wide liquidation that began on Monday, March 25, 2025, in total, Hudson’s Bay has just over 9000 workers in the Country.