Dude! You're gettin' fired!
Posted on 03/14/2005 10:07:15 AM PST by 4.1O dana super trac pak
A national Muslim organization says it want to mediate with Dell Inc, over 30 Somali workers who are at the center of a dispute over prayer at work.
The Council on American and Islamic Relations in Washington, D.C. sent an e-mail and letter yesterday to Dell president and chief executive Kevin B. Rollins after the Nashville newspaper, The Tennessean, reported that the workers walked off their jobs last month because they were forced to "choose between their faith and their employment."
The workers, who loaded boxes or operated forklifts at Dell's Nashville plant, requested time off to pray at sunset and were told they could not, said Ibrahim Hooper, executive director of the council.
Dell spokesman T.R. Reis said the Texas-based computer manufacturing firm has a longstanding policy of accommodating workers of diffrent religious faiths. He said Dell is working with the Metropolitan Human Relations Commission in Nashville "to better understand and resolve the issue."
"There were some contract employees at our operation there who evidently were involved in something that was an anomaly in terms of a dispute with their manager over prayer breaks," said Reid.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Ping
What's most interestin to me is what is not being emphasized here. Snippets from the article; "...Somali workers.." "...contract employees..." Ahh, it becomes clear now. Dell is too cheap to hire Americans so it hires Somalis "contract workers" for a pittance. You reaped what you sowed dudes. No more Dell's for me or mine.
But we Christians are not a religion of peace. We've just a cult.
If they requested to be scheduled, it would be an individual thing,to each their own as it were. This is a group of employees,trying to enforce a group break,a religious break no less. Where is the ACLU on this why are they not all over this?
The only religion they will discriminate against is christianity.
A very accommodating and well thought answer.
Sure. I'm just wondering how Freepers would be reacting if these guys were Orthodox Jews or belonged to a sect of Christianity that forbade its adherents from working on a particular day?
The fact that these guys are Muslim should be irrelevant to this conversation.
Not only should Dell not capitulate, they should make being Islamic a firing offense.
Sure. I personally think that the company has the right to refuse to grant them this privilege.
However, my question is: how would Freepers be reacting to this if it was 30 Christians asking for a minor accomodation from their employer?
That's different. The two you mentioned are religions -- as opposed to Islam, which is a blood-cult founded by a pedophile.
Don't they get coffee or lunch breaks?
Dude! You're gettin' fired!
Whatever your feelings about a particular religion, so long as the people in question, such as these Somali guys, are peaceful and law-abiding members of society, their religious rights should be respected.
That being said, I don't think Dell should be required to give in here.
The Somali's requested time off to pray at sunset and were told they could not, said Ibrahim Hooper, executive director of the council.
They were told they could not take a prayer break. And this causes you to make that statement that you will now refuse to buy a Dell? Why? Because they refused the Somali's to take a prayer break? I am confused.
If that makes it more palatable for you, sure. Go ahead.
" Interesting question. These guys might not be popular on FR due to their religion. I wonder how people would be responding if they were Orthodox Jews who requested that their employer not schedule them to work on Saturdays? "
As an Orthodox Jew, I can tell you that most employers are very understanding of the Orthodox Jewish religious needs,and treat us with the utmost respect. The only thing they usually ask in return is not to take advantage of the situation, which few if any people in that category do, that I know of.
That's why I am very curious hear Dell's side of this story. I have a feeling all the facts have yet to emerge.
Is Dell paying the ragheads to pray or work? Pray on your own time, work when you're on your employer's time. Simple. Nothing to mediate.
Exactly.
I tend to agree. Especially since CAIR is involved. I actually have a hard time believing that a major corporation with professional PR and legal advice would refuse a minor religious accomodation to its employees.
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