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Swans | Victoria | Pandora Ave. at Store St.


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#41 G-Man

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Posted 15 December 2009 - 02:08 PM

Wow. I had assumed it already was unionized ;)

#42 Caramia

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Posted 15 December 2009 - 04:26 PM

Swans has full benefits, and union scale wages, so a lot of people believe it to be unionized, but it isn't. Most of what you are watching with such glee is the work of two of recently fired employees who have been busy little beavers getting their revenge.
Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

#43 Holden West

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Posted 15 December 2009 - 10:44 PM

^So all those comments are fiction and Swans is in fact a model of excellent employee/management relations?

That's good to know. UVic should take their business students there on work experience so they can soak up the positive environment before they graduate and get jobs in other fields. Like Hewlett Packard and "The HP Way", it would only be a matter of time before "The Swans Method" became famous around the world as a synonym for respectful officeplace interaction.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#44 Sparky

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Posted 15 December 2009 - 11:04 PM

^So all those comments are fiction and Swans is in fact a model of excellent employee/management relations?

That's good to know. UVic should take their business students there on work experience so they can soak up the positive environment before they graduate and get jobs in other fields. Like Hewlett Packard and "The HP Way", it would only be a matter of time before "The Swans Method" became famous around the world as a synonym for respectful officeplace interaction.


Then they could follow in the footsteps of Dunsmuir Lodge, yet another example of why UVIC should not offer business degrees when assets like these are bequeathed to such a fine institution.............and then ignored to the point of extinction.

#45 Caramia

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Posted 15 December 2009 - 11:09 PM

So all those comments are fiction and Swans is in fact a model of excellent employee/management relations?


Hardly. It's got it's problems like every other place. It has employees that are happy, and employees that are bitterly unhappy. Plenty of unfairness, and plenty of kindness. But the most recent spate of online attacks is plain malice.

It is ironic you guys bring up UVic. One of the most frequent complaints among employees is about the accounting department's dominance. Yet it is because it belongs to UVic that it gets audited every year.
Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

#46 Sparky

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Posted 15 December 2009 - 11:16 PM

Then they could follow in the footsteps of Dunsmuir Lodge, yet another example of why UVIC should not offer business degrees when assets like these are bequeathed to such a fine institution.............and then ignored to the point of extinction.


My post was inaccurate.....it should have read "mismanaged to the point of extinction"

#47 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 15 December 2009 - 11:21 PM

Michael Williams' will dictated many of the terms under which Swans is run. Including guaranteeing the position of his choice of CEO. What UVic does once the terms of the will run their course is another story. Yes there is a board up at UVic that receives reports from Swans. But no, they do not have the kind of control you are suggesting. In this case arms length really does mean arms length. Even their uses of the revenue stream was, in part, decided by his wishes. The Legacy Gallery for instance was a wish of Mr Williams. He also desired that revenue generated by the property support Marine Sciences and Fine Arts up at UVic as well as maintaining his art collection.


So the CEO has sort of a lifetime job, and a deceased boss? I'd like that gig.

Good thing MW had his will in order. I know he was old, but I don't think he expected to die suddenly, like he did.

Ya, I'd say some of those remarks on RYE, or at least the recent ones are from the same people.

I take some sadness is seeing that some of the regulars have left, "regulars" can sure help your bottom line, and servers tips if they drop $1000-1500/mo. each, as I know many who do.

#48 Sparky

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Posted 15 December 2009 - 11:29 PM

So the CEO has sort of a lifetime job, and a deceased boss? I'd like that gig.

Good thing MW had his will in order. I know he was old, but I don't think he expected to die suddenly, like he did.

Ya, I'd say some of those remarks on RYE, or at least the recent ones are from the same people.

I take some sadness is seeing that some of the regulars have left, "regulars" can sure help your bottom line, and servers tips if they drop $1000-1500/mo. each, as I know many who do.


I deal with this CEO as a service company. I make a point of not patronizing this establishment. That should say something.

#49 VicBooster

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Posted 16 December 2009 - 10:49 AM

The place could use a good cleaning. The covered patio is the worst for cleanliness.

The food is sub-par for the prices charged. It's standard pub fare, of course, but the price and the pubs location lead to higher expectations.

#50 lady gaga

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Posted 18 December 2009 - 11:57 AM

Vicbooster i totally agree with your assessment of the pub's cleanliness. i also worked at swans for some time and am keenly interested in what is happening there now. the staff do not earn near union wages, $8 to serve, 10 to wash dishes and max 13 to cook. this is part of the reason they have food quality issues as they cant or wont pay for quality staff. i am sad to see that the situation and deteriorated to the point of online bashing but its like a pot left on simmer, it will eventiually boil over. the claims of unethical treatment are not exagerations, i have been witness to many incidents. I think the union drive is less about money and more about confronting issues such as abusive management and lack of job security. Sadly i dont agree with the methods currently being used to change the employment situation there. tact is much more effective than trash talking and name calling.

#51 Holden West

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Posted 18 December 2009 - 11:08 PM

$8/$10/$13 seems pretty standard these days.

Generally speaking, union wages start around $12 or $13, even for dishwashers and servers. There are a few gigs that pay around $20 if you're lucky to find them.
"Beaver, ahoy!""The bridge is like a magnet, attracting both pedestrians and over 30,000 vehicles daily who enjoy the views of Victoria's harbour. The skyline may change, but "Big Blue" as some call it, will always be there."
-City of Victoria website, 2009

#52 Caramia

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Posted 19 December 2009 - 05:38 PM

I have to agree with Lady Gaga. This kind of malice isn't necessary and it bothers me to read it too. The people this clique are targeting don't deserve the kind of crap that is being said about them.

Sure, Swans has a sort of Fawlty Towers vibe to it. But I have worked in union establishments before, it isn't guaranteed nirvana either. The politics don't go away just because you are paying union dues.

Right now Swans staff get -
  • $1 a shift for soup, bread, unlimited coffee, tea, pop.
  • Extended Medical and Dental even if you are part time (20 hours),
  • Maternity
  • Paid for training & courses (assuming it is relevant to the job you do for them)
  • A turkey or bottle of wine for each staff member at Christmas

Does anyone work in a unionized pub? If so, how does that measure up?
Nowadays most people die of a sort of creeping common sense, and discover when it is too late that the only things one never regrets are one's mistakes.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

#53 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 03 January 2010 - 12:32 AM

I'm told the Swans staff have a union certification vote (UFCW 1518) set for January 15th.

#54 spanky123

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Posted 03 January 2010 - 10:01 AM

Stuff like this cuts both ways.

If the employer was fair and reasonable with its staff, 1 or 2 disgruntled staff members aren't going to have an impact after they have left. The muckracking just becomes noise after a while and in all likelihood their coworkers are happy to have seen them go. In this case it sounds a little more complicated as the union isn't going to waste time with a certification vote if the sponsers are no longer with the company and the majority of staff are happy with their work environment.

On the flip side, Victoria is a small town. I am assuming that the disgruntled employees have no intention of working in hospitality here again. Leaving any company and airing your laundry on the Internet is a pretty sure way of having your name added to the "little black book".

#55 Bernard

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 07:29 AM

Seems Swans is one of the best in the world. Here is the quote from the author from his article in Outpost:

1. Local pubs, anywhere: “I really love pubs. I remember one called Swans Brewpub, in Victoria, B.C. It serves local beer, has a great menu and it’s also open late! I want to go to a pub where there’s a good chance that everyone and anyone will chat—even complete strangers—and talk drunken crap all night.


This is what Victoria should be striving for, to be the best the world. The goal of the city should be strive to the number image of Canada when people think of this country and to be one of the main cities people think of when thinking of North America. Florence can do this in Europe and they are smaller than us, so to is Venice.

#56 VicBooster

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 08:24 AM

We can strive for whatever we want but as long as pubs like Swans serve tasteless food people will eventually come to realize that anyone writing about Victoria pubs and food in the same paragraph must have a taste bud deficiency.

has a great menu


The menu might be great, but the offerings are anything but. They can't even get chicken wings right which should be a staple of any pub.

#57 piltdownman

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 12:01 PM

I laughed myself at that comment. Everyone I know seems to think thinks Swans has great beers and horrible food .. I guess we are all wrong :)

#58 Bernard

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 12:09 PM

OK, I could not judge the food as I never end up having it when I am in there. Seems not well done food is a theme in our brew pubs.

#59 sebberry

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Posted 20 June 2010 - 05:39 PM

I was a member of a business group that met every week for breakfast at Swans. I quite enjoyed their eggs benny.

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#60 pontcanna

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Posted 22 June 2010 - 10:15 PM

I've always found the kitchen at Swan's to have good QC, as far as consistency goes...never had a bad meal there, not too many memorable ones either, but I go to a brewpub primarily for the beer. Though I agree other similar places (Canoe, Spinnakers) have better food overall, I have also had lousy meals at both.

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