Posted on 02/20/2011 9:45:32 AM PST by 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
Called the folks that sell and use their products, Yamaha, Boston Whaler etc ...I can shop elsewhere. Vote with my dollars between elections per se.
http://www.crane-interiors.com/Page1.html
Mom worksregular, know hours/days.
Company has a well-known safety policy.
Son should be aware of moms hours, Mom should follow safety rules.
A flexible boss COULD allow a “open” break time for mom to take if the phone rings... Son could leave a message on his OKness.
As for the other, when I was deployed in SEA, letters and the odd MARS call seemed to work.
Hope she is such a hot-shot worker that she has something else lined up. Cause there a LOT of people that would love to have that “shit job” as another poster opined - and they would follow the safety rules, eh?.
No reason we have to with today’s technology. The technology was not there during WW2. During Nam there was some Ham Radio calls go through, but it was mostly letters. Each war has brought new tech stuff where our Troops can keep is better touch with their families.
If there was no abuse of the calls at work, then the company was out of line. Military time frame is not the same as civilian, they have to make the calls when they get a precious chance.
We just had prayer at church for a young man who lost both legs to a IED 2 days ago.
Any one of us would have given all we own, to have heard one last I LOVE YOU from some one who may not make it home.
They should apologize.
Larry Officer must read “Dilbert” and think that he should model his conduct on the managers in that strip.
People used to stand together in war times and when the going got rough.
people like this azzhole are sickening.
They get off abusing and being in power over their fellow man.
It’s all about ME, ME, ME.
Yeah, because it's way more important to make a new foam pillow cushion that it is to for a human being to speak to a loved one who is imperiled, in the military, fighting over seas. I mean, who wants employees that are happy? The pillows must flow! A 10 minute phone call could spell the end of the company!
The company’s probably afraid of lawsuits if someone gets hurt using a cell phone—hence, the “no exception” rule.
Also, they may be afraid of lawsuits if they “discriminate” on behalf of one person or group, but not another (in that case it would be another example of the “zero-tolerance’ inanity).
But, as noted above, she could have been told she’d have an “open break time” anytime a call came through from her son.
In reality, it’s a fair general policy to have (keep with me) what needs to happen is another policy be added in situations like this, where they can answer their phone and take an unscheduled, break and get out of the production environment. This makes it fair for all employees, and says thank you to those families that sacrifice in serving our country.
Must have taken a lot of heat after the story aired. Because it was a heartless act on their part.
Ret. Senior Chief’s wife
In the early 90’s, I was a general manager of a machine shop which is located in a small rural town. At that time, the town had only a volunteer fire department and one of our ‘detail’ guys was on that team. Well, we allowed him to leave if a call came in. It was a complete honor system and, it ended up spiraling out of control. Fire calls at that time were infrequent but he started leaving more than once a day and failing to let our plant manager know he was leaving. It ended up being a disaster and caused alot of problems. In trying to do the right thing & what I considered to be a civic responsibility, we were taken advantage of.
Unfortunately, human nature tends to push the limit. In this day and age it’s hard to believe that other arrangements can’t be made by her.
Don’t know what the answer is, but if I was in either position, I’d find it.
The company employee is granted immediate break time to take the call. Problem solved.
BTW, the Marine’s opportunity to use the phone cannot be made dependent on mom’s work hours.
“Today we have electricity, indoor plumbing, and toilets. I suspect that you could learn to live without those too.”
I believe that during WW II we did indeed have electricity, indoor plumbing, and toilets- at least in most areas of the United States. SO I am not sure where you point is going.
Having watched someone nearly go headfirst into a mixing machine because they were wearing a lost loved ones dog tags I have to disagree.
Being distracted around machinery is dangerous.
What they can do is arrange that if her son called she is allowed to go on break immediately and step outside to take the call.
Crane Interiors of Nashville? I suspect their receipts are going to go down for the near term. I love it when people vote with their feet and their money.
JoMa
The Company has apologized and she gets her three days pay...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Too late. It’s worthless back-pedaling now.
if there had been cell phones in WWII folks woulda talked...no question
Strange what a little bad PR can do. There are always exceptions to rules. If it had been 0 calling her, the attitude would have been 100% different.
I’ve been out of the internet loop for a few days...with health issues, so I’ve not kept up with much. Hubby rules the remote control. Races are on again.
I’m of two minds on this. First, the company has a policy, and that policy must be uniform to all employees, regardless of hardship or sob story. Nobody is more supportive of military families than me, but they’ve got to understand that hardship, stoicism and martyrdom are part and parcel of the military life.
Second, this should be a management decision, where a thoughtful manager might allow some leeway for a person in this woman’s position. But know full well that as soon as they allow this, they are going to be sued by some jackass who feels that their own sob story is just as important.
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