Military Mom Pays High Price For Speaking With Son (TENNESSEE)(VIDEO)

News 5 Nashville ^ | 2/17/11 | Amanda Hara

[GailA]

WOODBURY, Tenn. - A military mom said she would do anything to answer her son's phone call from overseas, no matter what the cost.

Some seven months ago, Lance Corporal Mark Rhyne left the little town of Woodbury, for the remote deserts of Afghanistan.

"I told my son the day he deployed as he was about to get on that bus, 'I will stand in your steed while you are gone, I will stand,'" his mother Teresa Danford said.

On Monday, while working inside the Crane Interiors factory, Teresa Danford said she kept her word.

Mark called from Afghanistan, using a Satellite phone. It was a rare opportunity he only gets maybe once a month.

"You don't want to miss a word because truthfully that might be the last time you hear from them," Danford said.

Danford knew about Crane's no cell phone policy but answered anyway.

"There is nothing in this world that would stop a mother from answering a phone call from her son and what if it was not my son? What if he'd been hurt and someone was trying to contact me?" asked Danford.

The next day, Teresa was suspended from work without pay for three days. This was a first offense, and managers told her next time, she'd be fired.

"I said 'you are aware that my son is serving in Afghanistan and he can only call me when that sat phone gets to his unit' and he looked me straight in the eyes and said 'yes,'" Danford said.

Larry Officer is a Human Resource Manager at Crane Interiors. He sent NewsChannel 5 the following statement: "It is our policy that there is to be no cell phones used during working hours due to safety concerns within a production environment. Employees are allowed to use cell phones during breaks and lunches. We have a communicated policy for all employees to be reached in case of an emergency."

Danford said she fully expects to be fired for going public. But she remembered the promise she made to her son, the promise to always support him.

"If I didn't do this, then I couldn't live with myself. So if I lose my job, I lose my job. But I will have done what I gave my son my word that I would do," Danford added.

A lot of people have gotten wind of this story already, and they're not ignoring it.

A petition was posted online to demand that military family members are granted the right to answer calls from their loved ones serving over seas.

That's all Danford was asking for. She said talking to her son once a month gives her peace of mind, and gives her son the strength he needs to continue his work overseas.

Danford's son is scheduled to return home in a month, when he'll meet his son for the first time.

Email: ahara@newschannel5.com

[buccaneer81]

You never had any traction to begin with, whereas I’ve obviously hit a nerve.

[buccaneer81]

You have a hell of a nerve talking about “ordinary decency.” You sir, are in need of a transfusion of decency.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Heh, it didn’t take them long to change their minds once the emails started coming in.

[yorkie01]

Larry, Larry, I believe a well directed attitudinal adjustment is in order from this young Marine when he meets you face-to-face. Stand your steed, girl.

[cva66snipe]

Most employers in Tennessee will make exceptions for military service related circumstances. Management knew the circunstance it seems and chose a hard line attitude. No good for morale nor corporate image. If she was a doctor doing surgery I could understand no calls. In a plant? No and I’ve been around many.

[Balding_Eagle]

You have a hell of a nerve talking about “ordinary decency.” You sir, are in need of a transfusion of decency.

Ordinary decency compels a person to live within the rules of society. This woman flaunted those rules, and the safety of those around her in her selfishness,

Then, to cover up her selfishness, she runs to the press and cries about how unfair the company was enforce rules that ensured the safety of the other employees.

[copwife]

My guess is that she had the job before her son was deployed. I also would guess that if your child were deployed and this was the only chance you had to speak to him/her, you would do the same thing.

[SandRat]

The Unit's/Ship's wives especially the senior wives have a tough duty assisting, mentoring & consoling the junior wives.

As we both know they also get involved with their husbands in providing a bit home comfort to the single service members especially during the holidays.

Civilians just can't fathom that we, no matter what service, are a family, and we take care of our own.

[Verginius Rufus]

At the Constitutional Convention in 1787 they decided to keep the proceedings secret until they were done. That meant someone had to keep an eye on Benjamin Franklin if he was invited to dinner by someone who wasn't a delegate, to prevent him from talking too freely and revealing secrets.

Imagine if there had been cell phones in those days, trying to maintain secrecy.

[RFEngineer]

Thank you.....

[ScottyinTN]

Management knew the circunstance it seems

Big assumption. No.

These really are good family oriented people to work for. Many of them are vets and understand, including some of the management that is being flamed here and elsewhere. I know them personally and they are not bad people. Communication was lacking here. Crane can't make it up for it after the fact, and neither can the employee. And no, I am not management trying to defend myself.

[SandRat]

Looks like I may at Ft. Campbell supporting the Screaming Eagles during Rodeo Week.

Retired in ‘92 and working as a Govt Contractor, but still serving.

[ApplegateRanch]

I believe that during WW II we did indeed have electricity, indoor plumbing, and toilets- at least in most areas of the United States.

Oh really? Towns and cities, (mostly) yes...

So in 1935 Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed an executive order creating the Rural Electrification Administration. A year later Congress gave the agency the money and power needed to promote rural electrification by providing low-cost loans to build transmission and generation facilities.

1930 Total population: 122,775,046; farm population: 30,455,350; farmers 21% of labor force; Number of farms: 6,295,000; average acres: 157; irrigated acres: 14,633,252 1932-36

1940 Total population: 131,820,000; farm population: 30,840,000; farmers 18% of labor force; Number of farms: 6,102,000; average acres: 175; irrigated acres: 17,942,968

OTOH 30,000,000+ hayseeds, hicks, rednecks, and s***-kickers in (what was to become) flyover country really don't (not then; not now) count, so yeah; most ever'body had terlets an 'lectricicals, an runnun water...and 40 acres & a mule.

[T-Bird45]

Tennessee is a right to work state so she could have been fired.

Right to work has nothing to do with it - RTW is about unions and being forced to join in order to hold the job. The term you were looking for is "at will employment" regarding both the employer and employee being free to act "at will" to continue or terminate the employment relationship. "At will" means the employer can release without notice and the employee can leave the job without notice.

[Martel1971]

Sure exceptions should be made. They just won’t be. It requires thinking and value judgments, things that management hates to do.

This is going to be the new normal in the work place and we must find ways to deal with it.

As for family and friends serving, I am blessed to know a great many. My employer however doesn’t give one rip.

[muawiyah]

The situation is her son has no control over his schedule. That's because he's fighting a war.

You try to come between a momma bear and her cubs you will get cut ~ bad.

It is up to us to make the arrangements ~ not her. Mother nature cut her out for her role.

[Martel1971]

Right to work has nothing to do with it - RTW is about unions and being forced to join in order to hold the job. The term you were looking for is “at will employment” regarding both the employer and employee being free to act “at will” to continue or terminate the employment relationship. “At will” means the employer can release without notice and the employee can leave the job without notice.

_________________________________________________________

True and good point. However in a non RTWS there is usually a grievance procedure that this woman could have used (union or not). This is not available in right to work states unless it deals with federal discrimination law.

[Old Student]

Well, apparently the General Manager is a smart boss. He’s reinstated her, paid her for the three days she missed, and changed the company policy.

I guess they were getting a lot of calls, and they have retired military working for them, so got input from within the shop, too.

See post #10 above...

[Old Student]

“This is going to be the new normal in the work place and we must find ways to deal with it.

As for family and friends serving, I am blessed to know a great many. My employer however doesn’t give one rip.”

getting your employer a bunch of calls because you complained and went public seems to work. Maybe you should try it.

See post #10.

[maine-iac7]

Ayuh!

I growed up on one of them farms - they got 'lectrified in the early 1950's.

I'm now an old great granny - lived all over this h'ar Younited States, from really rural to big city and in between - from humble cottage to mansion.

Decided to come back to the woods and altho' I'm 'lectrified and got indoor plumbing, I also have my wood stove and kerosene lamps and my well.

Come the infamous Ice Storm of '98, no power for 19 days - I didn't have to spend hundreds of dollars to stay in a motel. I'm utilizing the best of both worlds = ready for however it hits.