Posted on 05/10/2010 2:21:26 PM PDT by LowOiL
Today I was fired because "I wasn't a team player" and "didn't fit in". I worked for an eccentric "Christian" man in his 70's, I myself am Christian also. I will call the owner "Old Mac" for simplicity.
The place I worked as an mechanic was in a fabric mill (no more detail is needed, you know how hard the textile industry has been hit lately). The majority of the mill is illegals and some legals (from Mexico and Guatemala), with about a 30% other population of mostly white fixers and managers.
I worked a second shift and had only met "old Mac" casually before. Stories of his strange behavior ran deep but I never believed them before. Stories of how "old Mac" once saw a fellow on the loading docks lounging around and didn't like it, so he walked up to him and asked him how much he made and was answered XXX per week. Mac calculated the amount in his head, paid the fellow cash and said he was fired. The fellow took the money and left and Mac later found out he didn't even work there, he was just a delivery man.
Anyhoo... my story is one night "old Mac" came in at lunch time (we work 8 and 1/2 hours a day, 30 minutes are suppose to be lunch time and he does not pay us for it). I used to go to my truck and eat lunch in the cab in the parking lot. I would "allow" the "illegals" to go outside too since it was their lunch time too. I didn't see there was any problem, since he wasn't paying them. Old Mac came in and was furious, he did not want "little Mexico" outside his doors and that they were in the mill and he could be fined XXX amount of dollars. They were not in the mill, but they could be he reasoned. I was flabbergassed, I couldn't believe he was doing this. He often ran the air system so the illegals could run their machines during their "lunchtime" but any work they did was not time and a half pay like the law requires. Also us fixers (me and another fellow) were expected to repair the machines during our "lunchtime" and not being paid for it.
I asked "old Mac" if he owned us during the time that he was not paying us, he slowly looked at me and said I was "not being a team player" and that "it set a bad example for the Mexicans" at lunchtime and that they were NOT allowed to go outside whatsoever.
I told "Old Mac" that it was not right to keep me his "slave" during the time he was not paying me. He grumbled off and today I was told I was fired. I was handed my paycheck for the last week and told to leave. I argued that he was not "Christian" what he was doing and that I would bring up the subject to his church on Sunday.
I went to get my supplies and tools and booklets and say bye to everyone and as I left the back door I smelled tire smoke. A police officer had just tore into the parking lot and was waiting close to where I was parked. I guess "old Mac" had called the police on me. I never said a curse word, I never even called him anything more than "Sir". I was Christian about the whole affair, but I was not ran over by him like he wanted me to be.
My question fellow Christian Freepers is this... What is the precedence (protocol) for presenting my case to his church. I do not belong to his church (Baptist) but I am a fellow Baptist of a neighboring church. I have read before somewhere that I am allowed to address their church elders and then I am allowed to address the church next if that fails. I have talked to their pastor (nice fellow) and he said actually I had no Biblical right to talk to their church in that manner since I was not a member.
I seek godly knowledge from fellow freepers.
Please.
Ouch... yeah, I fully understand. That is pretty rough.
1) Almost all employment is “at will.” Unless you are terminated specifically for being part of a recognized “protected class” (race, creed, sexual orientation, etc.).
2) Why would you go to his church? That is just childish and petty.
Thank you for your post. That was exactly what I was thinking.
How long had you worked there? If not for a long time, he can say you just didnt work out.
Go file for unemployment (he probably doesn’t pay that insurance either.) But it will cost him.
If you want to have some fun, file a complaint with the EEOC. Write down the times he made you work off the clock. Depending on the state, you might have a case for wages.
Reporting to ICE won’t get you far, but it might make you feel better.
Go look for another job.
Welcome to the recession.
Is it old man Milliken?
Do not be afraid to act legally and report the guy. He is breaking several laws and he knows it. There is no Christian teaching that says that you should turn your head when laws are being broken and people are being cheated and abused.
From your letter, it appears that he is hiring illegal aliens and knows it. It also appears that he is cheating them out of wages that they rightfully and legally earned.
First, get an attorney who is familiar with labor laws.
Second, file a grievance with the state Dept. of Labor for hiring illegals and for cheating them out of their money.
your case rests with the labor board, not his church....
expecting unpaid work is against the law
Is your State an “employ at will” State?
Ah, let’s see. The guy is employing tons of illegals. Why not just report him to INS and the Department of Labor?
I assume you meant that for the OP...
You should be on the phone to ICE: 1-866-DHS-2-ICE
And Social Security: 1-800-772-1213
Also, add him to wehirealiens.com: http://www.wehirealiens.com/AddEmployer/index.asp
“He will be publicly embarrassed ... and he’ll likely strike back.”
From the picture drawn of “old Mac,” and his no doubt being a ‘pillar of his church community,” one can assume that he would lay the groundwork to protect his reputation and damage LowOil’s reputation before LowOil got anywhere near his church.
In calling ICE, I’d call the regional rather than local offices, and let that office filter the word down. If Old Mac was able to get the local police to his plant that quickly to check on LowOil, and the local police somehow have never noticed the number of illegals working there, I wouldn’t trust them or their local ICE contacts. Let someone above them act on it.
Also, I understand you wanting to go to the elders - because that is biblical. You talk to him first and if that doesn’t work, you go to the elders. Can’t recall where that Scripture is. Unfortunately, the way Jesus wanted His church is not what we have in too many circumstances.
So we cannot rely on them being biblical about it and calling him aside for him to rectify the matter. That would be ideal for him and you. I only wish we had THE CHURCH the way Jesus wanted it.
Excellent advice. I’m sure the cops get their ‘Christmas bonus’.
>>Is your State an “employ at will” State?<<
Small businesses with few employees are almost always exempt from the local rules even in a non “at will” State — again, except for discrimination that is provable.
Nice to see you.
The words of our King:
Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
e-sword:KJV
So it looks to me as though you have completed the first step.
The second would be to get two elders (wise), perhaps one from your church, and one from his, and present the case to him with them as witnesses.
If he will not hear (if there is a determined fault), present the case formally to the elders (as a body) in his church.
If he still will not hear (if there is determined to be a fault), then treat him as any other and take legal action as warranted.
JMO.
Send you post to your congressman and to your Senator’s Sessions and Shelby.
You might also send it to your mayor and city council.
It is of course, tongue in cheek. And we all know calling the authorities on this jerk could or could not work depending on lots of things...
But if these are his practices, they are wrong and as citizens who operate within the law, the thing to do is bug the authorities until something happens. It’s a shame that others jobs could be affected also, but they too deserve better, even though the job market is just really iffy...they would certainly qualify for unemployment until they could find the work they deserve. And the man certainly needs a wake up call.
About four years ago I got fired for not achieving production goals. I filed anyway and got a notice that the employer was appealing with the claim he had fired me.
I responded that I had told him in the beginning I could not meet his goals.
The unemployment representative asked me questions about training and such. She decided I wasn't given enough training time and awarded my claim.
Be very careful. Do not post any more specifics about the area but it is small town somewhere.
He knows the cops obviously. The pastor will not be on your side cause Old Mac probably tithes a lot more. Pastors and priests do care about the money taken in.
Anything to ICE (immigration) should be done anon.
Generally the bureaucrats in ICE or other places have turnover. He might have connections to the Congressperson or Senator’s office.
It might not help him now because of unemployment and illegals. Be very careful because even though you know you are in the right - this creep probably has lots of friends.
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