TCGI Suspends Two Speedy Employees; Issues Statement About Accusations

Following the accusations levied against Speedy Auto Glass on Wednesday, parent company TCG International (TCGI) has suspended two employees pending an investigation.

In a prepared statement released yesterday afternoon, president and chief operating officer Stephen Schober stated that the suspensions do not reflect TCGI's opinion on the involvement of the employees in the alleged fraudulent practices.

"Effective earlier today, the two employees named in the documents were suspended with pay," the statement said. "Further action is possible pending the outcome of the review. This action is not intended to imply that these employees are guilty of any wrongdoing. We believe they are entitled to their day in court; however, we feel the suspension is appropriate given the nature of the allegations and the confidence our customers must have in us."

The Vancouver Sun article of Wednesday, February 25, reported that the employees identified in the court documents against Speedy were Speedy Glass Shops general manager Bill Nears and company regional manager Gordon Fraser. TGCI has not released the names of the two employees suspended. Tom Brown, general manager of Speedy Glass Operations of Ontario, will assume leadership duties for Speedy Glass British Columbia starting today.

Schober's statement also reflected the company's disappointment with the handling of the accusations by ICBC and reassured the public that customer relations will not be affected by the dispute.

"We are shocked at the heavy-handed nature of ICBC's actions, which contravene and greatly exceed their past practices," the statement said. "ICBC have put themselves in the position of both judge and jury, utilizing their monopoly strength and position to jeopardize the livelihoods of hundreds of B.C. employees … Our entire B.C. staff seem to have been punished without any kind of hearing … Let me say this is a dispute between Speedy and ICBC. Our customers have never been adversely impacted. Our customers remain our first priority and we would like to reassure all our customers and employees that our stores throughout the province will remain open for business."