Some people who were hired as security guards for the 2015 Pan Am and Parapan Am Games have been kept on the sidelines despite being promised full-time hours, CTV Toronto has learned.
Mark Davidson was one of approximately 5,000 people who were hired by Contemporary Security Canada for the multi-sport event. He was promised $17 an hour and 40 hours a week – money he was counting on to help pay for university in the fall. But the 20-year-old claims he hasn’t been called in yet.
"They were saying keep your whole summer available during these two months and you shouldn’t have a second job because you could be working night shifts, day shifts," Davidson told CTV Toronto on Friday.
The Pan Am Games, which kicked off on July 10, is being held in Toronto this year.
Davidson successfully completed the security training ahead of the Games, but so far, he says he hasn't seen any work. He followed-up with his employers, but was told he had made a mistake on his part.
"They told me I had been emailed about the schedule and that I missed my date to pick something up," he said.
But according to Davidson, that wasn't the case. He says he has no emails confirming a work date.
And Davidson isn't the only person who claims they were hired by Contemporary Security earlier this year, only to be left without any work.
Rants on Reddit show other people are also still waiting to be called in.
In the meantime, Davidson is working at a local golf course to earn some extra cash before returning to school in the fall.
CTV Toronto contacted Contemporary Security Canada, Pan Am officials and the provincial ministry in charge of the event. The did not respond Friday.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Paul Bliss
