Posted on 07/06/2005 8:14:57 AM PDT by Brilliant
Anheuser-Busch lost an appeals court case Tuesday against workers who were fired after the brewer discovered by using hidden cameras they were using illegal drugs at the workplace, according to published reports.
Five workers lost their jobs as a result of being caught on tape smoking marijuana in a break area. As a result of the ruling, the brewer could be required to reemploy the workers.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit found that the company should have informed the union, Brewers and Maltsters, Local Union No. 6, before installing cameras.
The case now returns to the National Labor Relations Board to determine whether the employees are entitled to be reinstated or to other remedies.
St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc., the largest domestic brewer, manufactures and recycles aluminum cans and operates theme parks.
What if the two workers were seen, on camera, to have assaulted someone? Would they then be entitled, at least in theory, to be re-instated to their jobs because the local union had not been told of the camera's existence?
Stupid. No other words for it. It's stupid.
I thought employers have carte blanche to do whatever they want at the workplace, unless they somehow gave away that right in the CBA with the union.
Morons who smoke illegal drugs in the workplace should be fired for stupidity, cameras or no cameras.
I would think a blanket statement such as, "Anheuser-Busch reserves the right to monitor our employees' activities to the fullest extent of the law" would have sufficed.
Union ping.
That depends on what kind of agreement they have with the union in question.
So if a store catches someone stealing on a video camera, they now can't prosecute? What an idiotic decision! Where does it end. If I put a camera in my home and catch the babysitter going through my underwear do I have to pay her double? :-)
Of course it does.
Any employer which puts itself in a position where it gives away its right to sh*tcan any employee caught breaking the law, especially on the premises -- no matter how they're caught -- deserves whatever punishment the system doles out.
Someone at A-B is responsible for and should fear losing his or her job over this debacle.
Do you really need a camera to know when the babysitter is (ahem) "going through [your] underwear"?
Oh, maybe you meant your underwear drawer.
;O)
Thank God for Right to Work States. Don't have to put up with union garbage.
Apparently, they can fire their managers for drinking Miller Lite, but they can't fire their loading dock guys for smoking pot.
Well some of us wealthy Republicans own more than one pair. ;-)
OK, so don't fire them. Call the cops. Then fire them for not showing up for work.
Only if she mates your socks while she's there.
If she did that I could sell the video too.
Then you would have to pay residuals too.
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