Five employees of the downtown music venue Pub 340 (340 Cambie Street) suddenly found themselves out of work after bar owner Avtar Samara fired them on July 28. Speaking on behalf of Samara, Pub 340’s general manager, Sharon White, told the Straight, “The people who were fired were fired because of misconduct on the job according to the terms of the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing board.” White would not comment on the record about the nature of the alleged infractions, indicating that the decision to let the employees go was made solely by Samara, and was not based on a ruling by the provincial liquor authority.

Although the club will pay severance to the employees who were terminated, the group is considering legal action against the bar, according to Keith Wecker, a doorman who lost his job.

“We’re going to see our options and see what’s going on,” said Wecker, who feels the firings were unwarranted. He added, “Everyone is disappointed, not only because of [the] sudden termination of employment, but because that bar was another home for us. People started working there because they were into music, and wanted to be a part of that. Now it feels like all the hard work we put into making a”¦great place to play, and be, was for nothing.”