In what universe does a worker have the right to take part in a political protest on the employers’ dime and not expect to be reprimanded, suspended or fired? According to the Detroit Free Press, more than 20 Hispanic immigrant workers at a Michigan industrial plant believe they have the right to their jobs after they took part in the Day Without Immigrants protests in February, and were dismissed. Does this make sense to you?
It seems to make perfect sense to Tony Paris, Lead Attorney for the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice in Detroit. He filed a charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on behalf of the workers and feels that may have been discriminated against because of their ethnicity by EZ Industrial Solutions. Perhaps they were fired because they believed former President Obama’s administration’s rhetoric that they were somehow legally bullet proof from being fired, deported or impacted in any way by the nation’s legal system.
But somehow in their alternate universe the former immigrant workers apparently believe the liberal union-made verbal Kool Aid and now have filed an unfair firing claim with the NLRB. They claim that they were unjustly fired by the company located in Chesterfield Township. The company has responded to their incredible claims of unfair dismissal by saying their actions to dismiss the workers were legally appropriate.
This is critical because if employers are held liable for exercising their legal right to take punitive action against employees who fail to demonstrate responsible employment actions; i.e.…showing up for work, and instead choose to engage in protesting during work hours, All American employers and companies are irreparably harmed.
The dismissed illegal protester workers allege that a few days before the Feb. 16 day protest EZ Industrial Solutions threatened any worker taking part in the Day of Protest with a 1 week suspension for observing the ‘Day Without Immigrants,’ reported the Free Press. The immigrants believe that instead of being suspended they were fired. In essence they claim that their employer should have only suspended them instead of firing them.
The reality should have been clear to these workers who would rather sacrifice their livelihood and the financial security of their families by believing their employer would not be justified in utilizing any and all measure necessary to maintain his economic viability and order in the workplace.
Jordan Yoder, EZ’s operations manager, defended the action taken by the company. His statement to the Free Press stated, “”The law is quite clear that employees can’t just not show up to work when they’re expected, and also that they are not free to participate in political, non-work related protests during their work day without consequences. We therefore deny any wrongdoing and are confident that the charge will be dismissed.”