Tucson reservist loses job when Navy calls

Tucson Citizen ^ | March 15, 2003 | OSCAR ABEYTA and IRWIN M. GOLDBERG

[OldEagle]

Automotive supply chain Pep Boys fired a Tucson store manager because his military Reserve duties took him away from work, according to a federal lawsuit filed here. It may not be an isolated case. Several other reservists fired from Pep Boys in Tucson and Pennsylvania have contacted a military advocacy group with similar complaints.

[OldEagle]

Manny, Moe and Jack need to hear from us. There is good reason why this is against the law.

[Semper Paratus]

Give the Pep Boys a Pep Talk"

http://www.pepboys.com/about/contact/index.html

[jawstenn1]

OH Great!!! Now I have to boycott PepBoys. Didn't like the place anyway.

[Mr_Magoo]

ping

[Semper Paratus]

OH Great!!! Now I have to boycott PepBoys.

Like to see how they repsond first.
Maybe the clymer in Tucson had a grudge.

[MrPeanut]

I heard the Pep Boys are dating the Dixie Chicks.....

[dwilli]

Won't hurt to freep or boycott but if this is true the courts will take care of it in time.

[jimtorr]

Pep Boys will most likely lose all of these suits. I and the federal government do not look kindly on reservists being penalized for being called up.

A friend of mine was once the administrator for an Air Force reserve unit. She said that she could not believe the number of major corporations whose legal counsels were unaware of the laws protecting reservists.

[AndyJackson]

Sounds as though Pep Boys needs a few full compliance audits from EPA, OSHA, and IRS as well as being screwed by their own attornies and ultimately losing whatever lawsuits have been filed.

[Pontiac]

A friend of mine was once the administrator for an Air Force reserve unit. She said that she could not believe the number of major corporations whose legal counsels were unaware of the laws protecting reservists.

She obviously has not been paying attention to the type of professors our major law scrools have today.

[ExpatCanuck]

Like to see how they repsond first.

Agreed. The guy could be using this to his advantage. On the other hand, I've known IT consultants who have worked for Pep Boys and I've heard the place is run like a slave labor camp, so I wouldn't be surprised if this is true.

[Maximum Leader]

OK, here's my comment to Pep Boys:

The other day,I received a piece of direct mail advertising a special on brake repairs. As it happens, my brakes are shot and I have had good experiences with your store before.

I was hoping to bring it by your store this weekend until I was e-mailed a story this morning about a Navy reservist named Erik Balodis who was fired by Pep Boys from his job in Arizona after he was called to active duty. Furthermore the e-mail alleges that Pep Boys wrote the Navy on 9/11/01 and asked that Balodis be exempted from active duty because he holds a "critical position in the Corporate Structure of Pep Boys."

Frankly this account is so outrageous, unpatriotic and I'm certain illegal, that this may well be some kind of internet hoax. Nevertheless please let me know if this story is true or if it just a defamatory rumor against Pep Boys (if it just a hoax, you should sue whoever it made up such a slanderous lie, you don't want crap like this attached to your company name).

I've been going to your stores for many years in several cities, if this story is true (and I hope it is not), I won't be coming back--ever.

[Maximum Leader]

I really do have to get my brakes down.

I e-mailed to to the story down the street from my house. Let that manager tell his boss that Arizona cost him business.

[Chewbacca]

NAPA has better quality american made parts anyway.

Autozone sucks too! Crummy chinese made junk. I had to replace a thermostat from Autozone four times in one day to get one that worked. I when to NAPA and the first one I bought worked.

[cateizgr8]

ping

[Quix]

I THOUGHT THIS WAS AGAINST THE LAW.

Don't modern employers GET IT???!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Turkeys.

[fight_truth_decay]

"I THOUGHT THIS WAS AGAINST THE LAW."


Lt. Al Salter, the legal affairs specialist said federal law requires company's to reinstate reservists to their jobs when they are demobilized. He said he's not sure how the law applies to a contracted job.

Salter also informed the reservists that while they are on active duty, federal law allows them to get special interest rates on things like their existing credit cards and mortgages. Banks are required to offer lowered interest rates, some as low as 6 percent, to reservists who are called up. The law is intended to help reservists who make less in their military jobs than their civilian work.

http://www.theday.com/eng/web/mktplace/re.aspx?reIDx=C65376AF-0C49-4C0F-9F83-BF779F7F380F

[maxwell]

Here I'd thought it was illegal to fire somebody if they had to take off for military duty.