Remembering how his colleagues supported him during a difficult time, Anthoni Tambunan is giving back his fellow striking workers at Caesars Windsor.
So, when his strike pay, $250, arrived last week Tambunan decided to donate it back to Unifor Local 444's strike fund.
"There are people who need it more than me," he told BlackburnNews.com. "I'm more than happy I think I'm able to do that for my coworkers, help them in this very difficult time."
Back in 2014, Tambunan said he received devastating news about an earthquake and tsunami in his home country of The Philippines. He was away for a month as he searched for his siblings in a refugee camp in Manado after learning that his parents had died in the disaster.
"Finally, I found my one sister in the one tent," he said. "She came out from the tent, and she was crying."
When he returned, his assistant manager told him his coworkers were raising money to support his family as they rebuilt their lives. They held pasta dinners to bring his siblings to Canada and send money home to Manado.
"That's why I said to myself when I need a hand, strangers give their hands opening to you," said Tambunan becoming emotional as he remembers. "Now, I have a chance to do that too. I remember the good they did for me."