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Oh rotflmao. Not a chance. This 'Canadian' company is just another front for their personal piggy banks. Still run by Americans, the Head MF David Ward screaming at everybody and cracking the whip, cheating people out of vacation pay, and same old equipment from 2003. Pricing all over the place, who the heck is making this shit up?
I swear it's like all the idiots and privileged useless people from high school got together, went to Trump University, and bought the company.
*mike drop*
Well, Ooaps, you old vulture, still circling the dying looking for penny stocks? Nope, this is still the bitch-board for employees of the former CPI who ae now Photos Unlimited. Remember me? I certainly remember YOU...at least this time you have manners.
]Well I made my escape, moved away and quit the job, far enough to collect UI. Knowing this, I had made great efforts to have my vacation pay paid out in full so as to not screw my claim. All paid up, CPI said. We owe you nothing more, thats it, they said. 6 weeks later and my UI claim is stalled to the end of September because I was still owed 3000 in back vacation pay! WTF?!! Now the govt has claimed 1/3, so thats gone, and no UI until Sept 30th. This was MY money, I ASKED for it and they said it didnt exist. They got the interest off of it, and didnt file my claim until they absolutely had to. This company is so crooked they find head up your ass a comfortable position. I hope the get a royal screwing by the courts, lord knows they have enough to nail them on SEVERAL violations, not just their consistant moral redundancy.
Walmart has done a bit of a purge it aeems. All middle managers (over department managers but under store managers) have been reassigned to other positions, or most just let go permanently. In my area, at least. Any others out there seeing this? If they are watching wages and cutting back, this could affect whether or not they care to keep our studios as tenants, as they get a % for the rent of our sales, as I understand. Plus we owed them a buttload of backrent in 2013 which didnt make us look too good to the accountants. So sorry, PixlChk, I pesonally hate losing you for feedback! I have knocked myself out trying to find out what is going on with the company, but no amount of back door snooping seems to get any results. I did see on Facebook that there was a settlement offer to all the employees who were left high and dry stateside, but it was an offer letter and hasn't gone through yet, so unless here are any stateside folks still hanging around this board willing to share, thats about all I can do for now.
I will say we are on STRICT hour watch, but my studio is fully stocked with supplies and my paycheque still arrives every week, so here is a cash flow from SOMEWHERE. Sales average to lower than last year, but not embarrasingly so for us. Just taking it day by day.
Yep, the tag says Photos Unlimited, our delivery schedules have Canadian Images, but our paycheques are from CPI Corp. Google the number on the b2b flyers and you get CPI Corp in St. Louis! Why are we still a St. Louis based company when all the employees and stores are in Canada? Is this how they stay open-multiple new names to hide the parent company? I have no idea how this still floats. Anybody have to do any out of studio work yet, or is this another way of hiding the money?
BTW, still havent signed my letter, and am working as usual. Maybe they just don't want to rock the boat in my small green studio with great photographers, but if that letter had any weight, I should have been at least confronted about my stubborness to actually sign it, don'cha think? Unless my DM is 'hiding' us, that is. Dont see it, but you never know. Anyway, the letter doesnt stand a chance against the Labour Board so you are protected and eligible for UI if they do something shady.
I also have a copy of the letter Bob Cyr put out in 2013 saying how the company wIll keep us informed about everything going on with the sale and changes within the compamy. HA! I read it to have a chuckle on the slow days.
Its easy to spend money when you are in recievership on things buisness related, doesnt mean the creditors wont come calling. Even if the company was awesomely successful, I dont think Ican ever trust or respect them ever again.
This still on? I was wondering if there was going to be a meeting at head office this week, as the company has been in recievership 1 year as of Tuesday. Anybody else have any ideas what is shaking this week? DM sightings? Missing RMs? Its like a never ending mystery novel, with the last page ripped out...
Ok, the recievership was started about the 15th of April, so the year mark is coming up. Stateside ran no longer than a week or two after their one year was up, so its poop-or-get-off-the-pot time soon. Soon. We are only profitable because of cutbacks and less staff, methinks. Its another smokescreen. The props for prizes are recycled from the closed stores, not new aquisitions. And bonuses? Love to know if that was truth or baloney, let me tell you! Havent heard of cuts or issues, but I wasnt in today. My DM is quite sincere about the forward-looking stuff like weddings and pets, and I really am not buying it- perhaps she DOES think it 2ill happen, but I stilll dont think it is as easy as they say. Cannot find anything, anywhere dated after September 2013. Erg, this was so much easier when it was outside of Canada!
Muchwow, back at ya babe. This board and the posters are kinda my support group. I have no wish to be moderator, but am honored to know each and every one of you that isnt from head office. Or a stocktrader. Lol! Such a temper..,,
The only 'raise' is a notice youve been raised to exactly the same rate of pay as you were already earning in my case. Still sent me the notice, just no actual raise. Awesome. And I hope that was a sarcastic twist to the 'home office where the real work is done". If it isnt, wow. Just, wow.
Bonus? What is this thing you call 'bonus'? As a lowly minion in your company, my little spy, I do not receive any mythical grail such as this 'bonus' you speak of. I just get the customers, take the photos, create the art, make the sales that pay your bonus, and keep the studio up to date, running and profitable. People who do that are not 'bonus' quality, oh spy from above. Only the fat cats and whip bearers are entitled to extras. Hell, I even buy my own pens cause you order garbage for the studios. Step up and say your position, bonusbaby. I'd love to know who profits off my sweat. Oh, my PRS last week? $129, so yeah, I can talk to you like this.
And with our luck they buy the 12.99 special... lol!
Ugh. So if they go mobile, lets see. You do not go to the shop. You have say two bookings in the day. Maybe you are 'allowed' one hour for the shoot and half an hour travel. Aw, heck, lets be generous and make it two hours allowed for sit and travel. So that day, you get paid for four hours. Thats it. Whole day taken up by your 'sits' and they get to pay you half of a shift. And no bookings=no pay. Aquisitoning will become your existance, as you dont earn if you dont shoot. Oh, yeah, sounds AWESOME- not! You'd be better off joining Lifetouch and doing school mug shots. And who is taking the passport pictures then? They get an average of 1500 in PP sales each week per store, can't see them giving that up. And I can't see them increasing staff to cover the shop if the photograper is on the road.
Ok, how is this supposed to work? We go on location...in what vehicle? Under whose insurance? For the same rate of pay, but now we lug around equipment and use our own cars? What about gas, mileage, and wear and tear? And what about the studios-are they empty when we are on location or do we need to use more labour hours and staff to do both? And how many weddings end at 7pm? So if we are there unril midnight and are scheduled to open the next day at nine, this is now status quo? C'mon, this isn't anywhere as easy as they portray, and may just be another thing to distract us from the actual truth. Plus I never said I would go walkabout. I used to do rural census, and giving door-to-door service is A LOT of work, and may affect your insurance premiums depending on your province. And if you think you are getting a staff vehicle, remember how hard it can be to get a roll of tape or even paper out of the company...
If we were 'sold' it was to the same people with a name change. Also, the letters are bogus. As long as you still work at the same location doing the same job, they cannot lessen the amount of time you worked, or reset your vacation allowance. I got that from the labour board. Also UI.
So deposit slips just say Wal-Mart Portrait Studios and my t4 is CPI Wal-Mart Portrait Studio's (sic). Anybody got this week's pay stub yet?
Previous residences, I assume?
Stop pimping us eds. Who are you anyway? Jay? Silent Bob? Some random schmuck? We aint on this board to encourage you to make money on our misfortune, Jethro. Move along, nothing to see here.
Greetings stock investors and bottom feeders. Let me welcome you to our board...the one the employees hijacked to have an open forum about what is really happening on a day to day basis in the black hole of our employment. As you can see by the previous 7000 posts, this company has some issues. Whether or not the money magicians can find a way of fleecing the punters to make profit is of low concern to us. What is is whether or not we can make it through the day while being brow beaten and misinformed, threatened with unemployment, told it is our responsibility daily to exceed reasonable expectations or face concequences, and are forced to sign letters to work for an unknown entity and lord help you if you ask questions. As for scaring potential customers, they damn well should be scared-ask the Americans if they ever got what they paid for last April. As for working harder-bite me. How about you get off your posturepedic office chair and go a round with a day at a studio? And honestly-with all the information available on the history and decline of CPI, the lawsuits, and this board anyone who gets in bed with this company deserves to wake up with the fleas. And probably missing their wallet, watch, and kidney. Bring your own ice.
Completely agree. I feel VERY stale here! Sick feeling all the time, stress through the roof, and I live on this board. I just want closure. Lay me off and find a new minion. I have trouble faking enthusiasm and good will when I get none in return from my employer. It feels like the oompa-loompas are about to drown Willy Wonka in the chocolate lake.
Well that is two solid weeks of wait-and-see. Getting old..
And am I the only one who thinks of these guys every time im on the board?
Sadly, yeah. I think so. Just weird that it seems to be happening and we are just left in the dark. Im starting to think we are in the same file as 'office equipment'.
So it looks like same people different name. Oh joy. Yes, it has gone through, and as of last week supposedly the new company was paying us. So anybody got a PU pay slip yet?
So it looks like same people different name. Oh joy. Yes, it has gone through, and as of last week supposedly the new company was paying us. So anybody got a PU pay slip yet?
Didnt push either...left it in limbo. I dont accept anything about the letter and I refuse to aknowledge (sp?) It without further information in writing about what I am accepting. It is a blanket cover letter only to protect themselves. I know im walking the line but dont really care as the law is still on my side. See any movement? No. Starting to think I called their bluff. Now until next week I know im speaking too soon, BUT... this seems like the same old story being written by the same old author. If im wrong, I will be the first to admit it, but shouldn't something, ANYTHING been available somewhere in the dusty corners of the internet?
Anyone got the cohones to call the lawyer listed as the contact for duff and phelps yet?
Not yet. I can wait...but its tempting.
Aha. Well, my letter sits happily unsigned in a file of correspondence from cpi 2 years thick. I am still going in, am still working said butt off and I am supposedly unemployed? I think not. Will they let me go? Doubtful. Until I change my handle to DeadDucky I'm laying low and waiting for the bang. My three days is up, so let's see what happens next.
So late Feb. early March we will be told more about the sale? At what point is it no longer early March?
There is nothing they really need to do. I was told that ui is on an individual basis, and anyone that has the hours would be eligible if they don't sign. You would also be eligible if they let you go in those first probationary months as well. Its really your choice. I was told by both ui and labor board that they are a little leery of me signing it, and suggested a lawyers advice. So, that is about it. UI or employment. No raises for a year at least is my bet, and a real push for the next year IF everything pans out. I've had friends already dropped (no letter) and will not be signing. I feel sick. I don't think another year is in the cards for me, but leaving is tearing me apart.
Well I am going to take this letter to the labour board tomorrow and see what this means to me. Seems like I did find a law pertaining to employees in ontario retaining their length of employment even after a sale, so get googling and see if I read that right. Don't void your rights if you have them. I dont know if I do, so will be looking into it tomorrow. I may not get anywhere, but at least i'm not going into this completely blind.
Also, who ARE these people? I don't exactly feel too cozy with the idea of blindly being employed by an unknown entity. Are we not even allowed to know who our bosses are? what the background is? Ethics? PRODUCTS?! its like answering an ad in the paper and getting the job and you don't even know who you work for! Creepycreepycreepy!
Hold on! Isn't anybody concerned about this darn letter?! I personally feel a little blackmailed- 3 days, (dated 2 days ago, BTW) you can earn the same wage you already got only as a newbie with no rights and can be let go for no reason within the first three months?! And nobody is concerned? AND the sale is still an IF, according to the letter. so if I sign and agree and get let go in three months so they can hire someone cheaper, how does that affect my ability to collect unemployment? oh, I LOVE deadlines set over weekends, makes it hard to get the 'independent legal advice' they suggest we obtain. We are the ones making and selling ALL the product they produce... I thought we deserved a little more respect and consideration than that.
Sorry. Double posted!
No such news here in Sask. Are you guys sears or walmart? I am walmart.
Not likely. This looks like a one person operation and the comments on the site seem like personal contacts and new-business customers. CPI was 'sold' to Canada for $1.6 million and I'm pretty sure this company doesn't have that capital. Sorry MargaretCPI, I think we are being Snowed again. Also, the receivership is still under a year old. I am personally giving it until the middle of April before I lose it completely. I could now be a legal aide with all the forms I've read over the last 2 years, and that is about all I can predict.