Local workers fired after not going to work on ‘A Day Without Immigrants’
139 replies, posted
Other than undocumented workers, who have absolutely no rights in the US disallowing them any leverage to retrieve their job back, it is up to the worker themselves to be able to keep their job position. Beforehand it is their responsibility to be sure of their company policies and employers are fine with their day of absence from work due to political protest, not a strike. If they are fine with the absence then they also need to be sure of their rules regarding involvement, such as not bad mouthing the company they work at. If they still get fired they can then explain their situation and apologize for their absence with a possibility of getting their job back. Getting a why and cooling off the steam of the situation can really help with future employers who would want to contact the previous ones when trying to find a new job.
There are ways to be involved in a political protest, but with no planning and follow up is a good way to be irresponsible and lose your job.
[QUOTE=Smoot;51849146]So how much money would a company have to lose because of the actions of a handful of employees before it's okay to fire them?
$1,000?
$10,000?
$1,000,000?[/QUOTE]
Doesn't matter, companies are faceless and will always re-acquire money in the future. Right to protest > Corporate financial loss.
[QUOTE=Smoot;51849146]So how much money would a company have to lose because of the actions of a handful of employees before it's okay to fire them?
$1,000?
$10,000?
$1,000,000?[/QUOTE]
You guys really have a very terrible culture when it comes to worker's rights don't you?
[QUOTE=eirexe;51847986]You have a right to protest and go on a strike specially if it's been called by a union, what kind of country wouldn't allow that?, you shouldn't be fired for going on a strike.[/QUOTE]
you're talking to some people from the US...understand they don't have the mentality of defending workers rights....
[QUOTE=Exploders;51849358]Doesn't matter,[B] companies are faceless and will always re-acquire money in the future.[/B] Right to protest > Corporate financial loss.[/QUOTE]
This is completely naive.
[QUOTE=Thlis;51849434]This is completely naive.[/QUOTE]
Believing otherwise threatens the views and beliefs I'm currently deeply entrenched in, and I will ignore all evidence that can prove my beliefs and opinions as being wrong, and I dont like it when people try to prove me otherwise :(
[QUOTE=Exploders;51849634]Believing otherwise threatens the views and beliefs I'm currently deeply entrenched in, and I will ignore all evidence that can prove my beliefs and opinions as being wrong, and I dont like it when people try to prove me otherwise :([/QUOTE]
It is naive. Sure, a huge multi-billion dollar company may appear faceless, but those very large companies are often conglomerates of hundreds of smaller companies that all have their own history, founders, leaders and teams of people that they employ. When large companies do poorly it can directly translate to the welfare of people far down the chain suffering, who are normal every day working people. The way it is structured, it is often the people lowest that feel the pains first and the hardest.
[QUOTE=Ajacks;51849662]It is naive. Sure, a huge multi-billion dollar company may appear faceless, but those very large companies are often conglomerates of hundreds of smaller companies that all have their own history, founders, leaders and teams of people that they employ. When large companies do poorly it can directly translate to the welfare of people far down the chain suffering, who are normal every day working people. The way it is structured, it is often the people lowest that feel the pains first and the hardest.[/QUOTE]
Poor performance of a comany hits all employees hard, but you'll notice the strain is much harder the higher the position is. The lowest employees might not even notice what is going on until the company needs to reduce employee pay or numbers.
But companies are most definitely not machines. They're a congolemrate of people working to make the company succeed. Success is their goal and recently you'll notice they have been transparent about not being one dimensional by providing charity or other community resources.
[QUOTE=ImUnstoppable;51847957]mass strikes and unionization of workers is how we got higher wages and better conditions. Action isn't a bad notion[/QUOTE]
I don't think their protest had anything to do with their current employer, rather a political statement they were trying to make when they were supposed to show up for work.
If they were doing it for higher wages or better working conditions then it would be a different story, however I don't see how unions have anything to do with getting fired for not showing up for work.
[QUOTE=Cutthecrap;51849431]you're talking to some people from the US...understand they don't have the mentality of defending workers rights....[/QUOTE]
Which is ironic considering not too long ago our ancestors were fighting and killing/being killed so they could have established worker's rights in the first place.
I wish we had people like you all in this country who were intelligent enough to understand why it's important to stand up. On the one hand anyway. On the other, I can't help but think that if this is the route we're going to go down, fuck it-- we deserve it. Let us suffer for it.
[QUOTE=eirexe;51849370]You guys really have a very terrible culture when it comes to worker's rights don't you?[/QUOTE]
If your willful actions cause a company to loose profit by not showing up for work then you can get fired for that, in the end the whole purpose of a business is to make the owners money and compensate employees for the value of the work they do.
Working for a private corporation owned by a private individual is not a jobs program, they don't owe the workers anything that hasn't been mutually agreed upon.
[QUOTE=Govna;51849783]Which is ironic considering not too long ago our ancestors were fighting and killing/being killed so they could have established worker's rights in the first place.
I wish we had people like you all in this country who were intelligent enough to understand why it's important to stand up. On the one hand anyway. On the other, I can't help but think that if this is the route we're going to go down, fuck it-- we deserve it. Let us suffer for it.[/QUOTE]
Is this what feels before reals looks like?
Where was all the outrage when the Obama administration crushed deportation records
[QUOTE=ultra_bright;51849793]If your willful actions cause a company to loose profit by not showing up for work then you can get fired for that, in the end the whole purpose of a business is to make the owners money and compensate employees for the value of the work they do.
Working for a private corporation owned by a private individual is not a jobs program, they don't owe the workers anything that hasn't been mutually agreed upon.[/QUOTE]
All strikes result in losses, do you want to outlaw strikes?, I hope you are not suggesting such a thing.
Strikes are one of the most powerful tools in the arsenal of the workers, and I have seen it being put to good use in Europe.
Workers striking as organized by a union for working conditions, wages, etc = obviously should be defended.
Workers striking for a political protest on immigration = I don't see how that can be protected by the National Labor Relations Act. It's less organization and more politics.
[QUOTE=eirexe;51849859]All strikes result in losses, do you want to outlaw strikes?, I hope you are not suggesting such a thing.
Strikes are one of the most powerful tools in the arsenal of the workers, and I have seen it being put to good use in Europe.[/QUOTE]
There is a definition for lawful and unlawful strikes. The strike they went on had literally nothing to do with their current employer, you need to acknowledge that.
[QUOTE=ultra_bright;51849887]There is a definition for lawful and unlawful strikes. The strike they went on had literally nothing to do with their current employer, you need to acknowledge that.[/QUOTE]
And? have people never gone on a general strike for government changes in the US?
[QUOTE=eirexe;51849898]And? have people never gone on a general strike for government changes in the US?[/QUOTE]
You do realize there's a difference between a private sector worker and a public sector worker right?
A relatively small strike in one sector might grab the attention of the government while the same strike in the other will barley have an effect on the government yet would ruin the livelihood of a group of workers and employers.
Just think of the difference between a group of staff members at the IRS going on strike would have on government operation vs the chefs working at a small family owned restaurant would have if you're trying to send a political message.
[QUOTE=eirexe;51848786]And that still wouldn't make it right to fire them.[/QUOTE]
It doesn't matter if it's 'right' or not in an at-will state dealing with a non-unionized worker. If you're non-union and you're in an at-will state your boss does not need a valid reason to fire you. They can do it just because they don't want you there anymore. They can tell you to fuck off for pretty much anything that doesn't run afoul of anti-discrimination laws and there's little recourse for you except to file for unemployment and hope it hasn't fucked your career too badly.
[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;51849070]What happened to make you think like this? Were you raised in a [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_of_despair"]pit of despair[/URL]?[/QUOTE]
As someone else who's come to the same conclusion: The world fucking hates us small fries. The fact that we're even having this discussion is proof positive that the average joe is the corporate world's universal punching bag. If you don't drive a car worth >60k, if you don't live in a McMansion/ritzy suburb, you're a nobody and the world is going to stomp you into the dirt at every single chance it gets.
[i]Welcome to life as a lower-middle-class member of western society.[/i]
[QUOTE=Cutthecrap;51849431]you're talking to some people from the US...understand they don't have the mentality of defending workers rights....[/QUOTE]
Not all of us like to shoot ourselves in the dick ya know. I fucking hate the whole concept of 'at will' employment. But the reality of the situation is different from how we'd all like it to be and there really isn't much we can do about it. The people we need to appeal to to change the situation are the people who are vastly in favor of the current way of things. They won't listen to us. They haven't been listening to us for decades. That's why it usually takes riots to get anywhere, and even then it's the bare minimum they'll give us.
There is a difference between "what did you expect?" and "this should/shouldn't be allowed".
They should have expected to get canned if it wasn't a protest protected by unions, and yeah it's unfair to other employees who had to work longer hours, but at the same time the whole protest would just fall apart if not enough people are out there and this is a significant thing to protest.
[editline]20th February 2017[/editline]
[QUOTE=mdeceiver79;51849070]What happened to make you think like this? Were you raised in a [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pit_of_despair"]pit of despair[/URL]?[/QUOTE]
How many levels did he have to endure?
[QUOTE=-nesto-;51849841]Is this what feels before reals looks like?
Where was all the outrage when the Obama administration crushed deportation records[/QUOTE]
I'd say feels before reals is the fact that Obama didn't get an ounce of credit or praise for upholding the law in a sensible, lawful, and constitutional manner from conservatives that obviously want to deport immigrants anyways. I guess the mustard is more important.
Well, at least until they have to deflect criticism from their manchild orange idol who decides to force his bullshit through via poorly planned executive order and won't let go of his shit for brains [B]wall[/B] idea. Here's a more interesting question: If deportation is going well, and most immigrants don't arrive in America by land border crossing, then why the wall? Wouldn't it be more sensible for Trump to continue Obama's policy? Why do conservatives feel like they're in danger if the Obama administration did such a good job of keeping the immigrants out?
Can't give him credit I guess, it'd be humiliating to admit that the weak liberal had a better and more effective border policy than the ancient china method, so we've gotta' spin it as a bad thing. Then, when liberals take the bait we get to giggle and say "Oooh, but why do you want these people to be here, they're breaking the law!"
[editline]20th February 2017[/editline]
I mean is your argument here literally "Obama wasn't liberal enough he enforced border law too why weren't you angry at hiiim!?"
-snip-
[QUOTE=froztshock;51850025]
I mean is your argument here literally "Obama wasn't liberal enough he enforced border law too why weren't you angry at hiiim!?"[/QUOTE]
That's not what I was saying. I'm pointing out the hypocrisy of protesting against something that's been going on for years. Suddenly its a massive issue yet the previous administration, that they supported, was doing exactly what they are "fighting" against.
[QUOTE=-nesto-;51849841]Is this what feels before reals looks like?
Where was all the outrage when the Obama administration crushed deportation records[/QUOTE]
Maybe Trump's demand to build a wall that won't solve anything is freaking people out.
[QUOTE=Lambeth;51850134]Maybe Trump's demand to build a wall that won't solve anything is freaking people out.[/QUOTE]
They're protesting deportation not his dumb ass wall.
[QUOTE=-nesto-;51849841]Is this what feels before reals looks like?
Where was all the outrage when the Obama administration crushed deportation records[/QUOTE]
Nah, this is what it looks like when people like you (people with extremely short memory spans) forget that Obama's administration also pushed for things like the DREAM Act, started policies like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and expanded Deferred Action for Parents of Americans, etc.
Obama followed the law and had a fair, logical approach to tackling immigration-- not necessarily involving total amnesty but also not threatening retarded shit like "building a $20+ billion wall", throwing out all illegal immigrants from Mexico because "they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists", nor being against Muslim immigrants/immigrants from the Middle East on the flimsiest grounds ever (~terrorism~).
[QUOTE=-nesto-;51850191]They're protesting deportation not his dumb ass wall.[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-day-without-immigrants-20170216-story.html"]Loooks like they were protesting both homeslice[/URL]
[QUOTE]Like Ortiz, many immigrants in Los Angeles rooted for a “Day Without Immigrants,” a protest that shut down down restaurants, construction sites and businesses nationwide to highlight the contributions immigrants make to the U.S. economy. But most couldn’t risk skipping a day of work.
The demonstration was directed at President Trump and his plans to crack down on immigration, including building a border wall, stripping sanctuary cities of federal funding and potentially deporting millions of immigrants without documentation. [/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=-nesto-;51850297]No doubt the wall was a part of the protest but it wasn't the focus.[/QUOTE]
Ah okay I'm right then, thanks for telling me.
[QUOTE=Lambeth;51850215][url=http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-ln-day-without-immigrants-20170216-story.html]Loooks like they were protesting both homeslice[/url][/QUOTE]
No doubt the wall was a part of the protest but it wasn't the focus.
[QUOTE=Thlis;51849434]This is completely naive.[/QUOTE]
I would have imagined so as well but according to this story a small business is able to dump 18 employees after they miss a day of work. Apparently it isn't [I]that [/I]much of a concern for profitability.
[QUOTE=eirexe;51849370]You guys really have a very terrible culture when it comes to worker's rights don't you?[/QUOTE]
Yeah the next time someone whines about FP being a far left echo chamber ([sp]especially now[/sp]) I'm just going to link them to this thread and the NFA petition thread.
[QUOTE=Exploders;51849358]Doesn't matter, companies are faceless and will always re-acquire money in the future. Right to protest > Corporate financial loss.[/QUOTE]
Companies are owned by people and those people want to make money. Those people that want to make money have a contact with their workers and if those workers violate that contract then they can/will/should get shitcanned as soon as the employer, who is employing them at will, decides that the employee is not reliable.
Companies exist to make money. They don't exist to give you a legally required job, they aren't obligated to hire you, and if you break the terms of your contact then they WILL fire you. It's that simple.
And you know what else? They are completely justified in doing this. If you are scheduled to work a day, you say that you aren't going to show up for an unapproved reason [I]THE DAY BEFORE[/I], are denied that day off and still don't show up, then you've just fucked all of the other employees over as well as the company itself for that day.
[QUOTE=ultra_bright;51849910]You do realize there's a difference between a private sector worker and a public sector worker right?
A relatively small strike in one sector might grab the attention of the government while the same strike in the other will barley have an effect on the government yet would ruin the livelihood of a group of workers and employers.
Just think of the difference between a group of staff members at the IRS going on strike would have on government operation vs the chefs working at a small family owned restaurant would have if you're trying to send a political message.[/QUOTE]
You don't have to be a public servant for your participation in a general strike to have a noticeable influence on the government.
If the strike spreads far enough it can have an effect nationwide and pressure the government into opening negotiations with the unions. Especially if it touches important sectors like gas.
[editline]20th February 2017[/editline]
[QUOTE=phygon;51850513]And you know what else? They are completely justified in doing this. If you are scheduled to work a day, you say that you aren't going to show up for an unapproved reason [I]THE DAY BEFORE[/I], are denied that day off and still don't show up, then you've just fucked all of the other employees over as well as the company itself for that day.[/QUOTE]
You know what fucks over all employees period? Not being able to strike to defend their rights and ensure the tiniest bit of democracy within the workplace.
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