South Carolina Ping
Posted on 06/08/2005 1:24:36 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
A South Carolina firefighter is scheduled to lose his job this summer after he marries the daughter of a department captain June 18.
According to a statement from the International Association of Fire Fighters, Matt Cooper, a firefighter with the City of Rock Hill, will be fired because of what it calls an "anti-family" reading of a city anti-nepotism policy.
The union plans a press conference today to demand the city amend its policy so Cooper can stay on the job.
"The city has no reason to terminate this employee," said Michael Parrotta, president of the South Carolina Professional Fire Fighters Association. "The city's anti-nepotism policy as it is being applied to Matt's situation is arbitrary and doesn't reflect family values or the values of this community."
Joseph James is the pastor who will marry Cooper and his fiancée, Brooke Lowery, later this month.
"Matt Cooper is being terminated not because of a poor work record or violation of a morals clause," James said. "He is being fired because of his commitment to the love of his life before God and the world in marriage. We must call upon the City of Rock Hill to do what is right and what is just – change the policy that punishes Matt with the loss of his job because he is doing the right thing in marrying the woman he loves."
The 1983 city policy prevents employment of family members within the same department. The union points out Cooper and his future father-in-law work in different stations and that the anti-nepotism law was meant to prevent the appointment of family members to high-level positions regardless of merit – which is not occurring in this case.
"Without adequate justification, the city of Rock Hill is forcing a loyal and admirable fire fighter to choose between the two loves of his life," added Parrotta. "On behalf of fighters throughout South Carolina and across this country, we ask that reasonable accommodations be made by the city to allow Mr. Cooper to retain his job."
According to the statement, Cooper has tried unsuccessfully to work with city officials to be able to retain his job.
Where do these brainless bureaucrats come from, and why do they have to come here?
I wonder if he would have been fired if he had participated in a gay marriage.
it's south carolina, not massechusetts.
The anti-nepotism policy was probably supported by the union when it was put into place. The reason stated for the policy was to stop the promotion of less qualified family members from being promoted. What difference does it make if you marry the boss' daughter before or after you get the job? Will you still be the janitor or will he promote you to VP and start training you to take over the family business so his daughter will have a better lifestyle?
With a name like that, he's gotta be good people!
Y'know...is it the proximity to Charlotte that concentrates so much weirdness into Rock Hill? Seems like every bizarre brain-dead bureaucrat story I read about from South Carolina involves Rock Hill.
}:-)4
Actually I think it was set up to prevent 'favoritism' in hiring. I would think that they are within their rights to hold him to it. He knew the regs and guidelines. He has made his choice. This is similar to the no smoking policy that a lot of companies are adopting, where they can fire you if you smoke, even on your own time away from work.
I once worked for a company that strictly enforced its policy of refusing to hire married couples and direct relatives. I'm not sure how it worked if a couple got married after they started working there, but there is usually a very good reason for this kind of regulation in a workplace.
Why don't they fire the future father in law instead?
Why? Did he break the rules or guidelines?
Love your tagline!
Maybe they should both be fired.
Neither one is breaking any rules.
Both who? The father and the daughter? The daughter and the future husband? The future husband and the future father in law? The only person that needs firing is the one that violates the rules and regulations.
Both people that are capable of being fired. Though, come to think of it, maybe they should fire the daughter too.
I would imagine the guy knew the policy before he proposed to this girl. He made a choice.
The policy was in place before this guy proposed. It's different if you are a smoker working for a company who suddenly decides it is not okay to smoke on your own time.
Now, if you are talking about a smoker who chooses to go work for a company that already has a policy of not allowing smoking on your own time, you have a point.
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