A worker exits convenience store Casey’s publicly on TikTok

A worker used TikTok to make a very public announcement to his employer, popular supermarket Casey’s, on February 1 while in uniform.

Chaz (@chazonator), who says he worked at Casey’s for four years, resigned and explained his reasons for doing so in the video. “This is news for Casey’s general stores. I’ve been working for you for almost four years and today I’m fucking resigning. Why? Several reasons and I’ll explain them all to you in a moment,” he begins his video, which has meanwhile been viewed more than 1.1 million times.

He says the company failed to pay him a fair wage in the state of Illinois (he is paid 50 cents above minimum wage, which is $13.35 for untipped workers) and was unable to match his wages adjust for inflation. “It’s a dying wage and a starvation wage. And because after four years the cost of living has risen sharply, while your wages continue to fall. Honestly, I’m tired of paying you to work for you. You heard that right. If you don’t pay the cost of living increase, you’re making me less valuable. And guess what? I’m not fucking worthless,” he says.

He says his colleague was recently fired “because someone in upper management decided to spend a long time scrolling through video footage just to see if she could catch them making a mistake.”

“Apparently she forgot to pay for a pizza — a pizza you were going to throw away anyway,” he says.

Chaz says he’s had five different managers in the past four years he’s worked there. “Each supersedes the next as a CIS white straight woman and I have nothing against CIS white straight women but apparently someone in this county wants them to just run the business. … I’ve seen too many minorities being passed over for management promotions,” he adds.

He also accuses the store of charging products that he notes are predominantly black customers buying, and speculates that Casey’s is trying to keep them out of the store. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed how you keep pumping up the prices on the Newports and then the Swisher Sweets too. The blacks in our community certainly have. Because they tell me every day that they can get the same damn swisher for 99 cents across the street. It almost feels like you don’t want black guys in the store,” he says.

He also takes aim at Casey’s “Here For Good” slogan, arguing that the chain isn’t there for anyone’s good.

“You don’t recycle shit. You don’t recycle the trash in the store and you don’t recycle the trash outside. They don’t even provide recycle bins for your customers. Why do you say you’re here forever? … who is damn good? Certainly not for the good of the planet,” he says.

“So now I’m just saving you the time of having to sift through the video for hours looking for something to fire me with,” he says, tearing up his uniform. “I give up. Goodbye.”

Summarizing his message in the video’s caption, he tagged Casey’s and wrote: “I’ve been working for you for almost 4 years and today I’m quitting. This is my official resignation. For years I have watched you bypass minorities to promote cis white straight women to senior management positions while overlooking my minority colleagues for the promotion. You pay pittance and fire people who forget to pay for the pizza you throw away every day. They do not recycle rubbish or even offer customers recycling bins. You say you’re here forever. Whose good? Because it is certainly not for the good of the planet. i love your customers I do not like you.”

The Daily Dot spoke to Chaz via email about his experience at Casey’s. He said the chain didn’t reach him after he resigned. He added that his colleagues are grateful for his video. “Colleagues have reached out to me to show support and to thank me for exposing these truths that they have lived with during their time at Casey’s,” he said.

Chaz said that while non-white employees at his former Carbondale, Illinois store were promoted to assistant manager, they never received the proper support “to excel further up the ladder.”

Chaz also gave more insight into his colleague, who he says was fired for eating pizza she didn’t call. “The newest manager has been there for a week. It’s a white man. And now [a] lesbian vice president… [was] fired because he spent hours looking for a reason to fire her and found one. Eating pizza that was directed to the dumpster. It’s easy to forget to pay for lunch when you have to eat it while phoning a crowd of customers.”

Chaz said he posted the video to “draw attention to how companies treat minimum-wage workers.”

Chaz said he prides himself on his customer service skills and that his primary job at Casey’s is to “unburden [his] Social Phobia,” before saying, “I’ve never had a complaint about my work or customer service. I have only received praise from customers and colleagues.”

This notion is supported by viewers of his viral video, who recognized Chaz after visiting Casey’s location where he worked. “As someone who would be in your checkout line in your presence for a short time, I want you to know that your kindness has not gone unseen,” wrote one TikToker.

Some said his video could influence their decision to shop there in the future. “I love this insight. As a Midwesterner, I’m no stranger to this franchise. Good to know,” wrote one.

The Daily Dot also reached out to Casey’s via Twitter direct message.

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